


The Little Things

by dannihowell (iguessicantry)



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Alpha Phil, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Domestic, Gender Issues, M/M, Omega Dan, Omega Verse, Sexism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-02
Updated: 2016-04-02
Packaged: 2018-05-30 16:56:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 10
Words: 23,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6432718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iguessicantry/pseuds/dannihowell
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff"><p>follow me on tumblr<br/><a href="https://danni-howell.tumblr.com/">danni-howell</a></p></blockquote>





	1. Prologue

" _What are you doing out alone this time of night?”_

_“I’m g-going home. My dad’s waiting for me.”_

_“You aren’t going anywhere.”_

_“B-But—No! Let me go!”_

_“Shhh… Quiet now. You shouldn’t go out when you’re in heat… and this pretty. Just be quiet…”_

~.~.~

It had been a year since that night. A year since Dan was on his way home from theater school where he practiced for the role of Peter Pan with his closest friends. A year since the boy with skillfully cut brown hair and whistling lips was dragged into an alley way and never saw the world or himself the same way again. A year since icy blue eyes, reflected by a glowing streetlamp, seemed to steal his soul in one startling glare.

An alpha had taken him, mated him and left him crying and disoriented. It had been painful, excruciating. His clothes were ripped and his heart broken. In his state, he hobbled home. When he knocked on the door, one of his fathers screamed at the sight of him.

~.~.~

Things were different now of course. Dan physically recovered in weeks but the emotional damage seemed permanent. His father James, whom he called Dad or Daddy when he was in trouble and in need of leniency, was a psychiatrist. He was an Alpha male, one of them. He had blamed himself for not making sure Dan had taken his suppressant that morning. He blamed himself for not insisting the boy had an escort or a driver. He blamed his mate, an omega named Oliver, for not asking for all these provisions for their son, their only omega.

Dan had found it hard to trust people outside his home wouldn’t harm him. Going to school was out of the question and staying alone was difficult. Someone always had to be with him. He had a sister, Diana, whom he had not really gotten along with but after the incident, she lost her alpha harshness when speaking to her brother. His parents eventually focused all their attention from blaming each other to just focusing on Dan and his needs.

About a month after he came home that night, he started vomiting. Every morning and evening without fail. Sometimes he’d smell his sister’s perfume or eggs cooking in the kitchen and that would set him off. A week later it was confirmed that he was with child. Omegas were not allowed legal abortions and adoption was rare. Children were cherished and bloodlines were important. Dan had cried. He wasn’t sure what for exactly but he cried. Oliver cried along with him and James formulated a plan.

Dan would have the child and they would raise it as their own. He needed to have his youth like everyone else his age. They never blamed him for what happened, though others in the extended family and a few family friends pitied them or even accused Dan of being careless.

The birth had been hard. The little baby boy came a month early. The nurse attending to the birth administered the pain numbing medication. It didn’t work as well as it should have and Dan felt every single jolt of pain wracking his body. She had gone out into the hallway where the other nurses stood listening to the boy screams. She simply shook her head and muttered, “No alpha.” They nodded understandingly and went about their business as Dan labored in the delivery room.

~.~.~

David, from the Hebrew for beloved. David Daniel Howell.

It was tradition that the child’s middle name was his father’s first name. It was not tradition to give the child the surname of his omega parent but it was also not tradition to have a child without a proper mate.

Dan had chosen the name during his last few months when he felt that child kicking inside him. He tried his hardest not to become attached to him. He wanted to be able to hand him over to his parents and maintain a simple brotherly relationship with him but…

He had been referring to the child as _Davey_ and _Daddy’s little boy_ and everyone knew there was no way Dan would give up his parental rights and just go off to Uni or travel around Europe like everyone else his age and monetary status. There was no way.

David came home two weeks after Dan did and the family hasn’t had a moments rest since. He was almost four months old, a year after that night, a year since Dan was a ‘normal’ omega teen.


	2. One

"You shouldn’t go out alone.”

“I have a baby. No one will bother me,” Dan sighed.

“Baby or no baby, do not leave this house alone,” James warned him. “Who knows when your heat will set in again? We will wait until it comes and decide what to do from there.”

“Dad…”

“Daniel, just wait for Diana.”

“She takes forever to come home!”

“We will not discuss this again.” James ran his fingers through his salt and pepper hair then sat down in his arm chair, picking up the newspaper and ignoring his son’s annoyed frown. “What is your hurry anyway?”

“I just need to get out of this house! All I do is take care of Davey. I never see my friends anymore.”

“Invite them over,” Ollie suggested coming in from the kitchen. “I’ll bake some biscuits in the oven. Let’s have a day of it.”

“Sounds good,” James smiled. Ollie set down a cup of tea on the end table for his husband. He was the domestic type. He was the traditional kind of omega. His grey eyes were soft and his smile warm. James loved him dearly and their marriage was one Dan hoped to have one day but had very little hope. He had a child with an unknown alpha and no other would want him. Dan was unclean and bonded to another.

“I need to leave.”

“Your father didn’t act this bad after he had you kids, you know? All omegas remain in the home until the first heat after birth unless an alpha is with them. It’s for your safety,” James explained, taking a sip of his tea. “I would offer my time to you but you don’t want to hang around your old man, do you?”

“No.”

The front door burst open and Diana ran up the stairs with her blazer half way off her shoulders. A door slammed, items fell to the floor and then the sound of crying came.

“Diana!” Dan whined.

“Sorry!” she shouted down the stairs. “I’ll get him!”

“I wonder what happened today,” Ollie laughed.

Dan left his parents to see to his son and sister. He climbed the long staircase of their townhome and made the two rights into the nursery where he found Diana giggling with the baby.

“Hello there. Hi, baby… Are you happy to see your Auntie? Yes, you are.”

“Don’t talk that way with him. He needs to learn proper English like everyone else.”

“It’s baby-talk.”

“Don’t use baby-talk.”

“Fine.” She rolled her eyes and brought the infant up to her face. “What do you think of the war in Algeria? Should Britain get involved or is this a cultural thing?”

Dan couldn’t hide his laughter. “Davey says it’s an issue of human rights.”

“Smart kid,” she laughed. “You are the smartest baby in the world. Yes, you are.”

“Can we go out tonight?”

“Can’t. I have a huge project to work on.”

“It’s Friday!”

“It’s due Monday.”

“Please?” Dan begged.

“Sorry, Dan.” She approached him, putting Davey in Dan’s arms. “Here. Take him so I can get something to eat and start.” Dan pouted. The baby only cooed, reaching for his mouth.

“Let’s leave Auntie alone. We’ll have fun all by ourselves.”

“Good luck!” Diana skipped out of the room. Dan sat down in the rocking chair by the window and looked out onto the street below. It was springtime so their tree-lined street looked absolutely gorgeous. Pink and white flowers colored the branches and it had to have been the most pleasant day Dan has seen a very long time. It was sunny and everyone on the street actually looked happy, jolly even.

It was similar day, that day. Dan had gotten up, went to school with Diana and went to his theater school after lunch. He remembers getting strange looks from his alpha teachers that morning but had written them off as just teacher weirdness. Why didn’t they say anything? Was it too embarrassing a position for them? It would have saved him a lot of pain. It would have meant going to Uni with his friends or pursuing acting like he always wanted to. At the same time, he’d look at his little boy’s blue eyes and smile all the same. Dan never thought he could love someone so much. He never thought.

~.~.~

“This came in the post,” Diana said handing Dan an envelope. It had the stamp of the state on it, a black letter A with dove perched on top of it.

“Open it,” she insisted. He smiled and swallowed shallowly. This could be it.

He carefully opened it and read the first few lines,

_“To Mr. Daniel Howell,_

_Your case [#06111992] has been deemed inconclusive. Your file has been closed as of April 7, 2001 and will not require further investigation… Contact our offices at …”_

Dan put the letter down in his lap. “That’s it then.”

“I’m sorry, Dan.” Diana sat next to him on his bed and put her hand over his in his lap. “It’s not fair at all.”

“H-He took everything from me!” Dan whimpered and broke into a sob. “How can they j-just—just close the case like that?”

“We can call tomorrow and ask. Tell Dad and he might be able to talk to someone for you.”

“Okay,” Dan agreed. Diana hugged him and rubbed his back then kissed his hair.

“We’ll sort this out.”

~.~.~

Dan stood in the archway of his father’s home office listening on the call he was making to the Department of Criminal Justice. There had been a brief introduction and a lot of waiting on hold until James got a hold of someone important. He demanded it.

“Case number 06111992 for Daniel James Howell… Yes. Yes, we know it’s been closed. We want to know why.”

Ollie came to Dan’s side, not saying a word. He only rubbed his arm the way parents do to soothe you.

“What do you mean? Of course, he has the right to… That’s absurd! What kind of law is that? We are not animals. We can control ourselves.”

“Poppy?” Dan asked with a tremble in his voice.

“I’m sure he’s figuring something out, love. Just wait,” Ollie said.

“He shouldn’t have to raise his child by himself. Yes… Pardon me? Go to hell!” James shouted as he slammed the phone down.

“Daddy what did they say?”

“He said that an alpha cannot be held responsible for his actions when an omega is in heat. It’s evident that you were in heat because you had his child. It’s not considered rape under the law. You led him on…”

“B-But I didn’t!”

“I know, Dan! I know that. Don’t you think I know that? He ruined your life and you have to pay the price. I want to kill him for what he did to you!”

“Let’s all calm down, alright?” Ollie interceded. “What’s our next step, James?”

“I’m going to call our lawyer and have the case reopened! They are going to find him or I will myself!”

“I’m going to go read or something… I’ll be upstairs.”

“Okay, Dan.”

Dan sighed and walked away. He didn’t read. He went up to his baby’s room and quietly cried as he watched David sleep.

~.~.~

A few months later, Dan was allowed out of the house without an escort. His heats were coming regularly so he knew when to take his suppressants. On his way to his friends’ flat, that they shared while Uni classes were in session, he had met an omega at the bus stop whom was heavily pregnant. He had looked at the stroller where seven month old Davey was sat.

“He’s a cute one.”

Dan smiled and said, “Thank you.”

“You’re pretty young to be a parent, aren’t you?”

“I guess,” Dan replied, not really knowing how to respond to that. “I’m seventeen. I’ll be eighteen next week.”

“Well, happy birthday.”

“Thank you.”

“Probably be the same day this little one comes. I can’t wait. Feels like I’ve been pregnant forever.”

Dan laughed lightly. He remembers the feeling. “Yeah, it does feel like that.”

“I’m having a boy too.”

“Really? Have you thought of any names yet?”

“Joshua Philip. His father likes Josh but I want it to be proper on paper, you know?”

“Yeah. It’s a nice name.”

“Yeah, I like it enough. Hopefully he will too. What’s your name love?”

“Dan. It’s nice to meet you.” Dan stuck out his hand and shook the man’s.

“I’m Noel.” The pregnant omega smiled at the infant as he tried to get his father’s attention. “I can’t wait to meet my little boy. What’s it like?”

“Oh…,” Dan sighed. “Nothing in the world could ever feel so completely yours. I had a rough time having him. I was in labor for 34 hours.” Dan laughed when he saw Noel’s reaction. “But the moment I had him in my arms, nothing else mattered. He’s mine completely.”

“What does your mate think about that?” Noel smiled.

Dan shook his head and answered, “I don’t have one.”

“I’m sorry! Me and my big mouth. When did you lose him?”

“What?”

“Your mate. When did he die?”

“Oh… Um… Right after we bonded. Car accident,” Dan lied.

“That’s too bad. So tragic. How have you been handling it? You’re so young. You must have been in love…”

“It was hard—this is my bus coming,” Dan said, standing up and getting Davey out of his stroller so they could get on.

“It was nice chatting with you!” Noel called from his spot on the bench.

“Yes… Bye.”

~.~.~

Dan returned home after a few hours with David to find his father on the phone again, screaming into the receiver.

“My son deserves proper closure! He deserves to basic rights. No one has the right to rape him!”

Dan took David out of his stroller, trying to block his father out. He hadn’t accepted this fully, that he was a second-class citizen, that his body pretty much belong to anyone as long as they caught him on the right day of the cycle.

“If you’re son or daughter was raped, wouldn’t you want the case investigated and the alpha put in prison or at least dead?! Are you blaming me for this? You… I want to speak to your supervisor this instant!”

Dan took his son into the kitchen and handed him over to Diana, who gave Dan a worried look.

“You alright?” she asked.

“What’s he on the phone for again?”

“You know… Dad wants justice for you and he won’t rest until you get it.”

“I’m tired of this. I don’t want to be reminded all the time.

“What do you mean, Dan? You want to let him go free?”

“No… I-I just don’t want to tell the story again and I don’t to hear over and over how I don’t have the same rights you and Dad have. I just want to live my life. I want to go to school and raise Davey.”

“I understand. But Dan,” Diana settled the pacifier in David’s mouth to keep him quiet. He was a gentle child, easy-going and agreeable. “You might regret not letting people know who he is. What if he does the same thing again? He needs to pay for what he’s done. You couldn’t leave the house for more than a year on your own.”

“That’s because Dad wouldn’t let me.”

“Okay, but—“

“Di, please?” he begged. “Please just drop it. I need someone on my side for once.”

“I am on your side. We all are.”

“Then please?”

“Okay. You’ll have to convince Dad to drop this too.”

“Diana?”

“No. I won’t do it. As an alpha, it’s going to sound like I think this is okay.”

“Fine. Do you want something?” Dan asked, getting up from the table and going to the cupboard, pulling out a packet of crisps and a bottle out of the fridge.

“No, I’m not hungry.”

Dan came back to the table and ate his crisps quietly, listening to his father yell at someone new. Diana patted his back and half smiled. “Good luck,” she said.

~.~.~

Once James hung up the phone and stormed into the kitchen to grab a beer and calm himself down, Dan was ready to talk to him.

“Dad, can I talk to you… about this?”

“Those idiots that are supposed to protect this country don’t know what they’re talking about. I will get them to see–,”

“Dad?” Dan interrupted desperately. He ran his fingers through his fringe and timidly sat down at the breakfast bar in front of the sink.

“Yeah?”

“I don’t want to reopen the case.”

“What?” He looked crushed, as if Dan took the passion out of his life.

“I don’t want to go on with this. I just want to live my life and move on. It’s too hard.”

“Daniel, do you understand what will happen if you don’t fight against this?”

“I don’t want to think about what might happen. I have my life to live. I have my son and my family and school. I’m going to get a job and I’m going to be okay.”

“I know you will be. You have our support. We all want you to see justice. We don’t want this to happen to another family.”

“Please Dad?”

“Are you sure? Absolutely sure?”

“Yes. Let’s forget about this.”

“Okay. We’ll drop it.”

“Thank you. Really.”


	3. Two

Dan was exhausted. He was dead tired and he still had two hours left in his shift and a whole study guide to go through. Working at a small grocer in the evenings sounded like a good idea. Dan couldn’t stand the thought of depending on his parents for everything and independence for both him and David was one of his biggest priorities. So big in fact, that Dan was enrolled in a nursing program. Now, at 21, he was on the cusp of graduating. He planned to move out on his own and live in a small flat just big enough for the two of them. Of course, James and Ollie were a bit skeptical about young parent living on his own. They feared something would happen to the two of them and they wouldn’t know for days. Dan assured them that they would never let that happen. He was expecting a call at least once every two days or so.

“How’s it going?” Vicki, his supervisor asked. She was a middle aged beta who lived with her sister and her family. She was a kind, dark skinned woman with a jolly personality.

“I’m hanging in there,” Dan yawned, sitting behind the cash register.

“How many hours did you work this week?”

“Umm… twenty, I think.”

“You can’t be doing that much, have time for school and your baby?”

“My sister watches him after preschool and I went to most of my classes this week. A record actually,” Dan smiled sleepily.

“Most?” She tutted. “I am going to make sure I don’t have you on the schedule for more than ten hours next week. You need to study. In a few weeks, you’ll be able to get a good job and then you can worry about working. Not now.”

“Okay, Mum…” Dan playfully whined. “I have a practical so the homework load isn’t as heavy anymore, just so you know.”

“You just listen to ole Vicki,” She smiled, patting him on the back. She adored Dan if she was perfectly honest. He wasn’t like many people his age, partying without a care in the world. Vicki knew his parents well as this was the grocery store for the neighborhood. When he was looking for a job, she hadn’t judged him or his situation. Handing over the apron and a nametag, she welcomed him warmly. “How is that sweet little boy of yours?”

“He’s good. Just learned the letters D and A. He’s been marking the walls, saying he can write his name.”

“Oh, I love them at that age. My niece is four too. She’s having a birthday party on Saturday. You two should come.”

“He’d like that. We’ll be there.”

“Good!” she exclaimed. “It’s at the house. You can come around one. There will be chocolate cake.”

“Is it only for the kids…?”

Vicki shook her head. “No, Dan.”

“Then I can’t wait,” Dan laughed. He turned his attention to a customer who was unloading the contents of the shopping trolley. It was clearly someone with a large family, as the cart was practically overflowing.

“I’ll check up on you later, Honey.”

“Later,” Dan replied then asked the customer, “Are you part of the value club?” The script came naturally to him now. He’d been working here for almost three years while going to school. It would be a change to go work in the real world but something that would grant him more freedom. And for that, he couldn’t wait.

~.~.~

“Daddy?” David asked sitting on the edge of Dan’s bed, kicking his feet back and forth, watching his father spray the nice smelling stuff and check his hair for the fifth time since getting out of the shower. He was look at his reflection in the mirror along with his daddy.

“Yes?”

“How come my eyes are blue and your eyes aren’t?”

“Um… Some people just have different eyes from other people. Aunt Didi has grey eyes and your friend Hallie had green eyes.”

“Oh.”

“Why did you ask, Davey?”

“I don’t know. I was just wondering.”

“Okay. You can ask questions. I like when you ask questions.”

“You do?”

“Of course. That’s how you learn.”

“Then Daddy? How come I only have you?”

Dan gulped and cursed himself for not having an answer prepared. He knew this would come up. He sat down and brought David into his lap. “What do you mean you only have me?”

“Well, Hallie has two parents. Kelly has two parents and so does Michael.”

“Oh,” Dan sighed. “Sometimes two parents don’t always stay together.”

“So where did my other one go?”

“He’s—David, you have more than one parent. Who takes care of you? Tell me.”

“You… Didi…Grandpa and Poppy?”

“That’s four people. You have two more people than everyone else has. Aren’t you the lucky one?”

David thought about it then smiled up at Dan. “I am!” he said confidently. David looked so much like his father that he seemed to be extension of him. As if he’d grown from Dan’s rib like in that mythological story. There were little differences of course but David had Dan’s childhood curls, deep-set left dimple and his nose. He was brunet and tall for his age. He belonged Dan and no one could ever question it.

“Are we ready to go?” Dan asked, picking up the little trainers to slide on David’s feet.

“Yeah. What do you think will be there?”

“I hear they got chocolate cake.”

“Eww!”

Dan gasped and clutched his chest like he’d been deeply hurt. David giggled and jumped off the bed, Dan following behind him. “You don’t like chocolate cake?”

“No!”

“Are you sure you’re my little Davey? You weren’t abducted by aliens?”

“Yes, I’m sure!” The boy laughed as he hopped down the stairs. They put on their lightest jackets and set off down the street to go to the party.

Once there, Dan was greet by Vicki and her many nieces and nephews as well as a crowd of children. The festivities were in the back garden, complete with balloons, music, streamers, silly string and bubble machine. David, who was surprisingly a very social child despite his quiet demeanor, ran off with Vicki’s four-year-old niece, Leslie. David took a party hat that the birthday girl offered and was soon lost in the large group of children.

“Come on inside, Dan. Let me introduce you to the other parents.”

“Oh okay.”

Dan never felt comfortable around other parents. They were always a good ten years older than him and the conversation sometimes swayed to topics he had no clue about like politics and recent tax hikes. There were a few younger mothers but for the most part, he simply felt out of place.

“Everyone, this is Dan. Dan, this is everyone.”

They all waved hello to him and he waved back, trying not to be awkward but failing miserably. “His little boy is Davey, the cute on in the jumper and black skinny jeans. Where in the world did you find those Dan?”

“I have my ways. I want him to have style.”

“That he certainly has,” one young woman laughed, smiling warmly at him. She looked like Vicki except only younger. “Well, Dan you’re welcome to anything and everything. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Shauna.”

“Okay. Are you Leslie’s mother?”

“Yes, she’s mine. And look at them, they seem to be getting along,” she pointed out, looking through the glass sliding door into the back garden. Leslie was running around the garden holding David’s hand. They seemed to be having the time of their lives.

“I’m not ready for the talk yet,” Dan joked.

“Me either. I want them to stay little forever. But… They just grow up when you stop looking. Soon, I’ll be planning her wedding.”

“Aw, you still have quite a bit of time.”

“Yeah, we both do.”

“Let’s just get through kindergarten before we think about marriage and mating,” Dan laughed. “He’s going to school first, all the way up through college.”

“You know, you’re so young. It’s nice to find young parents with a good head on their shoulders. Davey’s got it good. You want the best for him, don’t you?”

Dan thought about her words and smiled because they were so genuine. Most people assumed he was incapable of parenting and it was nice to know someone thought otherwise. “I want nothing less.”

Dan continued chatting and enjoying the conversation with the other adults. The party went swell and Davey got a goodie-bag full of treats at the end. They both went home a little tired but happy. And David talked about Leslie for the rest of the evening, making Diana raise her eyebrow at Dan and chuckle as her nephew recalled his afternoon.

~.~.~

A year later, Dan was standing at the nurses’ station at a small pediatrics center. He had been working for almost 8 hours, with 4 more to go but he was enjoying himself. Today, they had minimal crying and only a few booster shots so his ears weren’t ringing like they were yesterday. His coworker, an omega named Kristi, pointed to the television behind him and raised her tweezed eyebrow.

“Single omegas parents are a disgrace,” a very angry, middle-aged woman said into the reporter’s microphone. “To begin with, their bonded! It’s sin to be without the alpha. It says so in the good book! Their children cannot possibly survive without the alpha influence. These omegas do not stay in the home. They work and then what happens?! They put their children in childcare instead of raising them!”

“Wow,” Kristi murmured.

Dan turned up the volume with the remote and listened more intently, to see how far she would go.

“It’s absolutely disgusting. Omegas like these are ruining the next generation. They have children on their own then expect the highest tax payers, alphas such as myself, to pay for their children for eighteen years!”

The reporter interrupted her to say, “What about omegas who are victims of rape or heat-related pregnancies. They have no say in any of this.”

“It’s their fault! First, rape only happens to the omega who isn’t careful.”

“Incest too?” the reporter asks, candidly.

“That, my dear, is an entirely different story. An omega must remain with his alpha or in the home. If he is out alone and attracts an unsuspecting alpha, who is a fault here? Not the alpha, not the child produced and certainly not the taxpayer. It is the omega’s fault entirely!”

Dan changed the channel before running into the toilet to vomit.

“Dan?” Kristi called as she knocked on the door. “Can I come in?”

“Yeah,” he groans, tasting the horrible leftovers of his bile.

“She is insane!” Kristi exclaimed before she sees the state Dan is in. His head was slumped over the toilet seat and he had gone pale, flushed.

“But everyone thinks just like her,” he grumbled. “Everyone blames me.”

“What are you talking about?” Kristi helped him to the sink to washout his mouth. After handing him a paper napkin, she coaxed him with her hands to explain.

“My little boy, Davey…,”

“Yeah?”

“His father didn’t die. I was… It’s always hard to say out loud.”

“Take your time.”

“I was taken— One day after school, I was walking home alone… The fucking sun hadn’t even set completely and he was behind me and he just…took me, all of me.”

“Oh my God, Dan!”

“Please don’t tell anyone else.”

“I won’t! Omega’s honor,” she swore. Kristi looked away, trying to find the right words. “I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry. It wasn’t your fault. Apparently, it was mine,” he sniveled. Kristi wiped her own tears away before hugging him tightly.

“That is not your fault. Do you understand? It’s been proven that alphas can resist the heat. We are humans, not brainless animals.”

“From your lips to the prime minister’s ears,” Dan smiled weakly. “And I love Davey. I’m so lucky to have him but… Can I tell you something?”

“Anything,” she whispered.

“At the beginning, when I first brought him home, it was hard to look at him.”

“Why?”

“His eyes. Those eyes are not mine. They belong to a stranger. They belong to someone violent and reeking of cheap vodka. That person makes up half of him. I don’t half of my own child. I don’t know what he’s capable of or if there’s anything hereditary I should check for,” Dan sighed. “I love those eyes though. His eyes are a part of him and I don’t regret anything. He’s mine.”

“He is. He’s healthy and happy from what I can see. You’re doing a good job, as good a job as any married couple and you do two times as well any couple. That I know for sure.”

“Thanks,” he laughed, sniffling again. “We should get back. A few appointments left today.”

“Let’s go,” she said, resting her hand on his shoulder and patting it comfortingly.

~.~.~

“Daddy?” David asked on the way home from the aftercare center at his school. Dan picked him up around 5 pm after work and they drive home in the car he proudly bought on his own.

“Yeah?” Dan replied, turning into the parking lot of their flat.

“Talia is taking piano lessons. Can I learn too? She said her teacher is really nice.”

“Are they given at school or something?”

“No. The lady comes to her house and teaches her. Can I, Daddy?”

“I’ll have to think about it. Unbuckle yourself so we can go inside.”

Dan waited until later to tell David that ‘No, he can’t have piano lessons (because Daddy has to pay the rent, the car note, the power bill and gas not mention food all on his own). His paycheck only goes so far and no more.” Dan won’t tell him that they’re on the edge every single month. A child doesn’t need to know that. Dan won’t tell him that he isn’t enough for him.

He knew they would be okay. He parents would give him whatever he asks for but at the same time, Dan wouldn’t take handouts. He needed the independence. After that night so many years ago, he had lost himself but now he knew he’s stronger for it. He wouldn’t wish it on his worst enemy but this is his life. As he went through the motions of cooking dinner and telling his son to get his homework started immediately, he thought about the lessons and Davey’s new glasses. Dan has a slight suspicion that Davey got the poor eyesight from _him_. Money was dwindling. He had to figure this out.

~.~.~

“You do not qualify for any kind of welfare program. I’m sorry, Mr. Howell.”

“Nothing? Not even a small subsidy for childcare? It’s £500 just for aftercare alone. I can’t do this on my own anymore.”

“Where is your alpha? You’ve checked single and not widowed on the paperwork. Have _him_ pay for after care,” the young man suggests. “Or stay home like you should.”

“Excuse me?” Dan sputtered.

“You should live with your alpha. You wouldn’t need to take the government’s money from people who really deserve it.”

“My alpha left! I don’t even know who he was!” Dan screams at him, slamming his fist on the counter. “I would just _love_ to have an alpha to rely on instead of groveling to someone like you! My son needs service and he is a citizen of the United Kingdom. You are supposed to take care of him when his own bloody father can’t do it.”

“Do I need to call security?” the man asked calmly.

“No,” Dan muttered. “Just tell me what to do next.”

“Marry rich.”

~.~.~

Later that night, after he’d put David to bed, Dan was watching television and saw an advert about Working for Omegas Worldwide or WOW, which was some sort of organization. A few had been popping up in the past few months all over but Dan never paid attention to them. The ad had prompted the following questions:

  1. Do you believe your rights have been stripped away or you never had rights to start with?
  2. Has your rape case been dropped because the incident occurred during heat?
  3. Were you forced into marriage?
  4. Are you abused verbally, physically or emotionally by your alpha partner?
  5. Are you afraid to speak out?



Dan kept his eyes on the number at the bottom of the screen. He would figure something out. He just had to.


	4. Three

“Luisa, hold all my calls please. I need a break.”

“You have a new client, Mr. Lester,” the young secretary noted, nodding towards Dan.

“Can you come back in about two hours? I really need a nap.”

“I-I came on my lunch break,” Dan spoke, tripping over his words. The office was a mess and the man he needed to see was apparently in the need of a nap.

“Fine. Okay, come in. Follow me. Come on,” the black-haired man urged. Dan followed him into the adjoining office and took a seat in the chair in front of his desk. “What do you need?”

“Help, I guess.”

“Name?”

“Dan Howell.”

“Dan Howell, this is a non-profit organization. Everyone who comes into my office needs help. What do you need specifically?”

“Money.”

“Good,” he smiled. “Honesty is good. I appreciate it. Why do you need money? You work. You said you’re on your lunch break.”

“I have a little boy, whom I’ve raised on my own all his life. It’s getting harder to handle it all on one paycheck.”

“And the other father?”

“I was…”

“Was?”

“Raped,” Dan finally answered. “I was raped and the police say that it’s not rape so they won’t help me support him.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” the man says sincerely, looking into Dan’s eyes. Dan feels his chest tighten just a bit when they make eye contact. He can’t figure why he’s feeling so breathless all of sudden. “You _were_ raped. Don’t believe a word they say. But because of the laws on the books, we have to get creative.”

“We do?”

“Yes. It’s worked a few times before but this could be the solution you’re looking for.”

“Okay.”

“Listen up. Take notes if you have to. Go to the Department of Children and Families. Ask for child support. They will ask you to provide a sample of your and your son’s DNA. When they ask you to have the father supply his sample, tell them he’s run off.”

“Alright?” Dan looked at him with wide eyes but full of his attention.

“They will resort to using the database to find him. If he’s been convicted of a crime, served in the military, foreign born or a whole list of other reasons, he will be in the database. Once, he’s been found, the department will force him to pay.”

“That’s brilliant.”

“Yes, I know. Took me a week of sleepless nights to figure it out.”

“Can I call you if something goes wrong?”

“That is what I am here for,” the man smiled.

“What’s your name?”

“Phil Lester, Extraordinaire.”

“Is that your given or married name?” Dan quipped.

“I was born this way,” Phil laughed, cockily. “So, Dan Howell? You’ll take my advice?”

“Yes, definitely.”

“Good. Now, leave because–,”

“You need a nap?”

“Goodnight. Close the door behind you.”

Dan laughed and left but not before taking a business card and brochure with Phil Lester, Extraordinaire photographed on the back cover. Dan decided to start the uphill battle and hopefully with Phil’s advice.

~.~.~

“We’re sorry, Mr. Howell. We can’t find him. You can hire a private investigator to find him. He owes you thousands of pounds of child support.”

“Hire a private investigator?” Dan asked. “With what? What should I pay him with? My arm, a leg and a large chunk of my soul? I do not have anything!”

“Mr. Howell, please calm down.”

“That’s why I am here!”

“Sorry, sir. Now please move along. I cannot help you with this issue.”

It had been six months since Dan started the whole process of applying for aide. England’s system had started to get faulty, much like the American bureaucracy, and it was harder and harder to get the basics guaranteed to members of society. Now, Dan was back to square one. He was still just barely floating about water. Dan was also stubborn. He lied to his parents and his sister about how well he was doing, telling them that he was doing just fine and that Davey might be able to afford that special class trip to France next month. It wasn’t true of course and he would have to find a way to pay for the trip, or gently break the boy’s heart.

On his way home that evening, Dan called the WOW office and left a message for the black-haired man he’d met months earlier, hoping he would remember Dan. Within just a few minutes, the phone rang and it was Phil Lester returning the call.

“I wasn’t expecting to hear back from you this late?”

“Late? This isn’t late? It’s only… six. Wow, that’s late.”

“Yes, it is,” Dan laughed into the speaker phone. “Isn’t your family waiting on you?”

“No,” Phil sighed. “Just my boy and he stays with his cousins mostly. He probably won’t even come home tonight.”

“Oh, he’s a teenager? Young people, I swear,” Dan joked.

“No, he’s just turned five a few weeks ago. Anyway, Dan, what did you want to talk about?”

“Uh—Right! There was a problem with getting the support I needed. Davey’s father isn’t in the system so I have to find him myself.”

“I was afraid that would happen.”

“Yeah me too,” Dan says dejectedly. He’s been overly stressed these past few weeks and keeping it together for the most part.

“Listen, come in tomorrow if you can and we’ll work something out. Alright?”

“Okay. Thank you.”

“No problem. See you tomorrow.”

Dan hung up and turned into a parking space of Davey’s aftercare center. He wanted so much to simply cry but he wouldn’t. He had to be strong.

~.~.~

The next day, Dan had a day off luckily but instead of sleeping in, he went into the WOW office because the rent was coming due and he literally had not a pent left in his savings. With Davey at school and the house clean enough so that he wouldn’t think about the mess all day, Dan left early and arrived at the office the same time Phil did.

As Phil struggled to open the door with file bow under one arm and a cup of coffee in his hand, he looked ridiculous, making Dan laugh. Phil looked at Dan with a derisive glance and Dan immediately stifled his laughter, finally helping him by taking the box.

“I was wondering when you were going to help me,” Phil said, stress obvious in his tone.

“It was too funny to resist. Sorry mate.”

“Shut up, yeah?” Phil eventually smiled, signaling that he wasn’t actually upset with the young omega. “What was your problem again?”

“I can’t get support,” Dan answered strained.

“Right. Have you considered getting another job?”

“No. If I get another job that means more using more petrol, less sleep and more daycare bills. The way I figure it,” Dan proposed. “Getting another job is going to cost me fifty pounds a month at least.”

Phil went about the room fixing papers and looking through files, seeming to be half listening to everything Dan was saying. “Uh… Um… Well, what else did you think of?”

“Trying to find a cheaper place,” Dan answered. “But where we live now only has one bedroom. To find anywhere cheaper would be going to a bad neighborhood. I won’t risk raising Davey in that.”

“What about your family? Can they help?”

“Y-Yes,” Dan mumbled.

“Then perfect!” Phil looked up with a wide grin and then it suddenly dropped at the look on Dan’s face.

“I c-can’t do this anymore… It’s too hard… I had him, not my parents. I should be able to pay for everything.”

“ _He_ should be paying for his child,” Phil immediately replied. “It’s not fair. None of this is fair to you.” Phil sat down in his chair and typed something up on his computer while Dan sniffled and picked at his jumper sleeve. “Are you aware that as an omega you’re making 30% less than your beta and alpha coworkers? It’s no wonder you can’t handle this on your own. They think you aren’t supposed to. I am referring to the atrocious welfare society that encourages abuse and abandonment.”

“Is that true?” Dan sniffled. “I didn’t think it was that big of a difference.”

“It is, Dan. You could be making £1,000 more a month if you were an alpha.”

“Wow. Well, what do I do?”

“Let me think…let me think… I need a nanny and housekeeper some evenings!”

“Nanny?!”

“Yes. My brother and his wife are moving an hour away so they can’t watch my son anymore. It wouldn’t be every night. I’ll pay you well.” Dan looked at Phil with such a look of bewilderment on his face that Phil thought he had broken the boy. “Are you alright?”

“How much?”

“For housekeeping four days a week? About £1,200 a month.”

“Are you being serious?”

“Yes. You see how busy I am, don’t you? I’m practically never home so you’ll have the house to yourself really. Feel free to bring your son along. They’ll probably get along. Joshua is very agreeable.”

“Joshua?”

“Yes, my son. Keep up!”

“Sorry.” Dan breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. “I’ll take it.”

“Good. Solved both our problems in one go. If only everything were this easy…”

~.~.~

Dan drove on his own, after leaving David with his friend Talia just for tonight, to Phil’s house. He was nervous because for some reason he trusted himself to be in an alpha’s house by himself and he couldn’t figure out why. Phil had a way of talking, fast and manic, that Dan felt was calming. It was probably because Phil had all the answers.

Parking in the driveway of the average sized home, Dan got there on time and took a deep breath before hearing a knock on his driver’s side window. He promptly rolled down the window and found Phil holding a child on his hips and a bag of groceries. “You came!”

“Of course,” Dan replied. “I said I would.”

“Well come in!”

Phil led the way into the house and Dan followed behind, meeting the eyes of Phil’s small son. The boy watched him from afar but said nothing. Dan figured it was general shyness that you see with young children.

“Okay, so this is my house,” Phil announced.

“I thought as much.”

Phil smirked and put Joshua down before going into the kitchen and giving Dan the signal to follow.

“This will be your domain. I’d show you where everything is but I have to head out soon.”

“What? Where are you going?” Dan asked, frantically as Phil turned on a few more lights in the house and opened Joshua’s book bag looking through a few papers.

“I need to make a house call. A client and her two children need to be moved to a safe house. Her alpha is particularly cross.”

“Oh.” Dan watched the man push a few buttons of the alarm system and open the door. “When will you be back?”

“Uh… You have my number right?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Good night, Dan.”

“Wait!”

Phil was gone already and Dan incredibly confused. He made his way back into the kitchen where Joshua was standing by the counter, leaning on cupboard and staring up at him.

“Do you know my name?”

“Mr. Dan.”

“You can just call me Dan.”

Joshua shook his head. “Papa said to call you Mr. Dan.”

“Okay,” Dan nodded but he couldn’t take the title, it was strange. “How about you call me Dan and it’ll be our little secret? Can you handle that? Only big kids can have big secrets like this one.”

Joshua nodded enthusiastically.

“How old are you?”

Joshua held up his hand, indicating five with his open palm.

“My son is the same age. His name is David. He’s a nice kid.”

“Will you bring him over to play with me?”

“Yes, if you’d like.”

As he went about putting the shopping away the best that he could, Dan looked around the kitchen confusedly. “Where is your refrigerator?” he asked the child. Joshua giggled and point to the wooden cupboard, which to Dan’s surprise, opened up to be a large double door sub-zero. “You have a weird house,” Dan pouted and Joshua laughed again.

“What would you like to eat?”

“I don’t know,” Joshua answered.

“What does your papa make you?”

“Papa, doesn’t cook.” The boy’s soft laughter almost made it seem as if this whole concept was a joke. Father cooking for their children… ha!

“Well, what do you eat at home?”

Joshua didn’t answer for a few seconds, thinking. “My Uncle Tommy makes me chicken nuggets and Auntie Elaine makes spaghetti sometimes.”

“Chicken sounds good,” Dan smiled. “And easy.”

After that, the evening went well. Dan cooked the boy a decent dinner which was healthy and tasted quite good by his own standards. Dan got the boy bathed and ready for bed and before he knew it, the child was fast asleep in his large bedroom. Dan had read him a bedtime story, knowing his own David was probably going through the same routine.

It was then that Dan had a chance to take a tour of the house, which was larger than it seemed from the outside. He had found that there were three bedrooms upstairs along with two bathrooms. On the main level, there was a living room, family room with a large television, a dining room that appeared to be untouched, the large kitchen and an office with an amazing collection of books and paintings on the walls. There was a lower level as well that contained two more rooms and a bathroom.

Although the home was even nicer than the one he had been raised in, Dan couldn’t help but feel that it was very empty. With the exception of the office, there weren’t any photographs of Phil or Joshua. And even though Phil said he needed a housekeeper, Dan thought the house couldn’t be any cleaner, bar the dust that’s collected in rooms no seems to go in.

Soon losing interest in the general area, Dan returned to the office in hopes of finding a book or something interesting to look at. He hadn’t figure Phil to be a wealthy man but everything else spoke otherwise. Now, that he thought about it, Phil had always worn nice clothing despite his status of working with a small non-profit. Phil had a northern accent that wasn’t as harsh as Dan had heard from others. There was also the ring Dan noticed on Phil’s left hand. It was a simple wedding band and a diamond of reasonable size. Phil never talk about a spouse but he seemed to have one.

Dan walked into the dark room and flipped the switch which turned on the ceiling lamp and gave the room a hazy yellow glow. This was possibly the messiest place Dan had ever seen. He saw stacks of coffee mugs on one end of the large L-shaped desk and clothes strewn on the floor. “So this is where he sleeps,” Dan murmured to himself. If there was one thing Dan was certain about now was that Phil Lester was a work-a-holic.

Walking around the room, Dan spotted a small photograph in a broken silver frame. In the photo was a smiling Phil and a very handsome young man who was pregnant, maybe the last two months or so. The young man had sparkling green eyes and a brilliant smile that Dan vaguely remembers seeing before.

“His name was Noel.”

Dan spun around to meet Phil’s solemn gaze.

“My lovely Noel,” Philip continued. “He’s gone now.”

Dan opened his mouth to speak but found no comforting words.

“He left me in this big house all alone.”

“You have Joshua,” Dan reasoned. “They have the same eyes.”

“Beautiful eyes,” Phil agreed. “But I’m not a good father. Noel should have been here instead of me. Dan, I-I…”

“What do you mean you aren’t a good father?”

“I let other people raise him. I don’t know anything about him. I’m always working.” Phil walked into the office and sat down at his desk continuing to speak while Dan stood with the frame in his hand.

“Have you considered keeping home and work separate?”

“Are you a dreamer Dan? You strike me as a dreamer.”

Dan smiled and shook his head. “It was simply a suggestion. Anyway, you aren’t a bad father. You make sure your son is happy and safe. You have the best of everything set up here for him.”

“Is that enough?” Phil asked, looking up at Dan and taking the frame out of his hand. Tracing the lines of the broken glass, Phil sighed, “He would have wanted so much more of Josh.” Phil smiled then as if he was remembering something. “He hated it when I called the baby Josh. Noel kept saying his name is Joshua Philip Lester. He has a proper name! Use it!”

“I think I met him once… When I was younger, when he was pregnant…”

“Really? How do you know?”

“I remember his smile and he told me he was naming his son Joshua Philip. I remember that day vividly. He was very nice…”

Phil took a breath and hung his head low. “He was the nicest, sweetest person. And to lose him like that…”

“Like what?” Dan whispered.

“My Noel liked to take walks, even in the rain. If he felt anxious or if he was bored or happy or hungry, he’d take walks. I hated it when he did that. And as much as we argued, Noel wouldn’t stop taking them.” Phil started shaking his head and started speaking with more strength, his voice getting deeper and heavier. “Do you remember that one really bad storm, worst storm in the history of England?”

“Yeah, David cried all night.”

“He went out that evening and thought it was just a simple rain shower. He just took his umbrella and left without even telling me. A few hours later, when I really started to worry, I got a phone call from the hospital, asking me for consent to operate on my omega, who has lost consciousness.”

“Oh my god,” Dan gasped.

“I told them of course, save him! Please save him!”

“Oh, Phil…”

“The doctor then told me they couldn’t save Noel at this point, only the baby. They needed my consent to deliver the baby by C-section.”

“Phil, I’m so sorry,” Dan wept. The tears streamed down his face in quick warm drops. Everyone had their own tragedies of course and Dan was an empathizer. Dan felt his heart break at Phil’s words.

“A car skidded off the road and jumped onto the pavement. The driver was on the phone or something and had to pay a fine. I lost my Noel! My son lost his father!” Phil sobbed, throwing the frame down to the ground, the glass finally giving in and fall out onto the floor. “Dan, I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For crying to you. You have it so much worse—,”

“Shhh, no.” Dan rubbed Phil’s back as the man sobbed into his hand, the wedding band still glimmering in the soft light of the room. “I’m here for you. We all need someone to cry to. I’m here for you just like you were there for me and for so many other people.” 

“Thank you,” Phil sniffled. “Thank you so much.”


	5. Four

Dan was getting ready to head over to Phil’s for the night and planned to bring Davey along for the one hundredth time or so. He had been working for Phil for about six months now and it was working out to be a fine arrangement. Dan could work as a nurse and housekeeper for Phil and make more than enough to pay the bills as well as anything else that came up. But furthermore, Dan was very comfortable working for Phil. The alpha was kind and gentle and his son very similar to him in many ways.

It did bother Dan that Phil worked as hard as he did but he understood. Staying home for more than a few hours would remind him of Noel and being around Joshua yielded nothing but grief.

When Dan and Davey got Phil’s house that night, he was already half way out the door. “Did you go shopping?” Dan asked, quickly taking over his role.

“Yes, the cupboard’s all stocked. I’m doing a rescue tonight so I may not be home until early morning. Is that okay?”

“Yeah. We brought an extra set of clothes.”

Dan knew the routine with Phil. There had been many occasions when the man didn’t come home until the sun rose and didn’t bother to call. However, Dan never grew upset with him. Phil was working to keep other omegas safe even in his safe alpha status. Dan started to view him as a hero.

“Hello, Mr. Lester,” Davey said politely going into the house.

“Hello and goodbye David,” Phil smiled. “Um, Dan?”

“Yes?”

“Josh is feeling rather sad lately and I haven’t been able to figure out what’s causing it. Can you?”

“Yes, I’ll try.”

“Thanks again.”

“No thanks necessary. You’re paying me.”

“Oh yeah,” Phil chuckled in that cute way Dan deeply loved more than he should. The man jumped in his brand-new black car and was gone, leaving Dan to play house.

Later that evening, after the boys had their baths and settled into Josh’s room, Josh asked Dan a hard question.

“Why doesn’t my papa read to me like you read to Davey?”

“Papa works very hard and he doesn’t have the time.”

“But you work a lot, Daddy,” Davey chimed in.

“Shhh,” Dan quickly hushed him. “What are you thinking about right now, Josh?”

“About Papa… He doesn’t like me.”’ The boy’s eyes started to water and Dan picked him out from under his duvet to cradle the little boy in his arms.

“Papa likes you. He loves you more than anything in the world. Why don’t you think so?”

“He’s n-never here and he always l-leaves me,” Josh sobbed.

Dan patted the boy’s back and cuddled him, keeping him close. “He loves you, that’s why he works so hard, to make sure you have everything you need. Do you like your house?”

“Yes.”

“Do you like all your toys and your clothes?”

“Yes.”

“Do you like your school and all the special things you get to do?”

“Y-Yes but…”

“But what? You can tell me,” Dan coached in a soft calm voice.

“I want my papa…”

Dan continued to soothe Josh until he fell asleep from the crying, muttering that he was sleepy. Dan kissed them both good night and promptly left to wait for Phil’s return.

~.~.~

“Your son misses you,” Dan said curtly upon Phil’s arrival around 3 am. “He spent an hour crying because he thinks you don’t love him.”

“First, fix your tone.”

Dan stood up straight but didn’t break his gaze. He watched Phil push his son away and he was getting sick of it. No child deserved that.

“Second, how can he miss me… he never had me to begin with.”

“And what about loving him, Phil?”

“I do love him,” Phil answered with a deep intimidating voice. “Don’t you dare say that I don’t!” Phil walked up the stairs to get away from Dan but he just followed him, whispering harshly.   
“That little boy thinks no one loves him. You’re his only family. You’re all that he has left!”

“Don’t you think I know that?!” Phil growled. Dan huffed and stood by the edge of the bed, arms folded across his chest.

“You never show him any love. You give him everything. The finest clothes, toys, the best school money can buy and he never sees you.” 

Phil approached him swiftly, eyes glaring and face red. “I love my son more than everything in this world. He means everything to me, including Noel. He looks just like him. I can’t stay here and be a normal father. You know why? Because every time I see that little face, I see him. I miss him. I still love him with every ounce of my being and my soul weeps every time I see my Josh’s face. Do you know what that feels like?!”

Dan shook his head, losing the strength he had at the beginning of this whole thing.

“You don’t know what love is then, do you?”

“Then show me,” Dan mumbled softly, almost weakly. Phil was so close, he could smell his delicious cologne and see that he hadn’t shaved in the past few days. The man’s strength was obvious in the way he stood over Dan and Dan felt himself wanting to submit.

“What?” Phil asked, the anger quickly losing its grip on him. Phil’s hand came up to Dan’s face and cupped his cheeks gently.

“Show me,” Dan whispered before Phil softly connected their lips in a sweet slow kiss. Dan’s eyes fluttered shut as Phil’s did the same. His hands rested on the duvet as Phil gently pushed him down onto the bed behind them. Soon Dan had his hands on Phil’s waist and his tongue playing with Phil’s as they kissed. He felt himself getting increasingly warmer but Phil eventually began to lift Dan’s shirt up inch by inch.

As they continued making out, Dan had no other thoughts besides Phil and how much he’d grown to love the man in the past few years.

“Are you sure?” Phil mumbled, daze half-lidded. “You really want to do this?”

Dan nodded. It would be the first time he’s ever really had sex. He always thought the first time didn’t count and that he was still a virgin even with a six year old son. “I do,” he finally said.

Phil sat up and reached into the drawer in the night stand and pulled out some condoms and lube. “Oh… these are expired. I haven’t needed them in so long.” Dan giggled and said, “I’m clean.”

“So am I.” Phil dashed the condoms away and heard them fall faintly in another part of the room. After that they both went silent, stripping away at the remaining layers they each had and then Phil had two fingers deep inside the omega.

“How is it?”

“Good. I like it,” Dan hummed. “More please.”

“Okay.”

Phil managed to get all three fingers in with ease and had Dan mewling and whispering his name, getting Phil hard and aching. Dan watched as the base of Phil’s knot swelled and almost seemed to pulse in his hand.

With one swift thrust, Phil pushed inside Dan, giving him one inch at a time. Dan gasped so Phil slowed down only to have Dan wrap his legs around Phil’s waist and push the man further inside his entrance. “So good… Phil…” Dan moaned quietly.

“You’re so beautiful,” Phil told him, slowly grinding down and stretching Dan for his knot. Their lips attached once more and Dan’s fingers gripped Phil’s heavy biceps as he bucked into him. The sex was slow and passionate and Dan had stared into Phil’s as he reached his orgasm, the intensity building as Phil kept moving into him, slamming his sensitive prostate and stretching his rim wide to take the knot.

Once he stopped coming, Dan had Phil locked into him, feeling his large member coating his walls with white. They began drifting into sleep before Phil muttered, “I love you and I’m scared that means I don’t love him anymore.”

“You love me?”

“Yeah. You’re such a beautiful person and you make me so happy. You make Josh happy.”

“You both make me happy too,” Dan smiled. “You can still love Noel and love me. You know that?”

“Now I do.”

“Good,” Dan said resolutely. “I love you too.”

~.~.~

With their feelings for each other out in the open, Dan and Phil began dating properly and after a few times it was obvious they were made for each other. Dan knew Phil’s favorite everything and Phil made him laugh. Phil kept Dan constantly guessing of what would come next and Dan kept Phil from losing himself in the clouds. Josh and Davey saw the change in the relationship between their fathers and took it well, exclaiming ‘You’re like my brother now!’ Phil stopped taking on as many cases and started to dedicate his time to family. Josh loved this of course and they were so much better for it. Dan felt an incredible sense of security with Phil and the boys were so happy. It was a win-win-win situation.

About a year later when the boys turned seven, Phil made everything official by proposing one night when he and Dan were finally free of work. They were married in a small ceremony, with Dan’s immediate family attending and only Phil’s older sister and her family because his brother was in the military and stationed in Belize. Phil’s parents died when he was finishing Uni, leaving behind a small fortune which allowed him to work in the field of his choice without having to worry about finances, which explains how someone from the upper class ended up in a small non-profit.

The wedding photos came out beautifully with Dan and Phil both wearing elegant black tuxedos and their smiles unmistakable. As Dan was going through them he couldn’t help but notice how cohesive they all looked together, that their patchwork family seemed to fit perfectly like a puzzle. Davey almost looked like Phil in a way and Josh had a similar streak of mischief behind his eyes that Dan had, though if you knew the boy you knew he couldn’t harm anything.

“Our family,” Phil said, looking over Dan’s shoulder from where he was standing behind the couch.

“Our,” Dan nodded. “Josh called me Daddy this morning.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, it was nice.”

“So this is going to work then?”

“I think so,” Dan giggled as Phil kissed his hair and then his cheek.

“I want to give you everything,” Phil whispered, placing more kissed on Dan’s shoulder.

“Like what?” Dan whispered back, letting Phil kiss at his neck. “You’ve given me everything I always wanted. What else could I want?”

“A little girl.”

~.~.~

One morning, Dan was on his way to the hospital when he heard about a new law that had just passed in parliament. According to the news reporter, “All alpha males are hereby ordered to release their blood work to the government of the United Kingdom. This was in response to the recent spike in non-bonded omegas bearing child as a result of heat related rape. The state, at the moment, will not call the act rape and as result, many omegas are forced to give up their children for adoption because they cannot afford to raise their own children. To curb the increase of children entering the foster care system, the government plans to have the alpha parent identified and their children released into their custody or the custody of a close relative. In other news…”

Dan would normally rejoice at any news regarding the states horrible decisions going wrong, but this one truly terrified him. When he arrived at work, Kristi asked, “Did you hear? They’re going to take some of the samples they get and solve some old cases. One of the best moves they ever made if you ask me.”

“Yeah… the best,” Dan mumbled.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m just thinking…”

“Yeah?”

“If they find Davey’s father, he might want Davey and has every right to him.”

“Oh no.” Kristi covered her mouth in shock and pity.

“He’ll take him. Alphas always want their children. Davey has his scent. I barely smell myself on him. Davey’s an alpha. He’ll take him,” Dan sobbed.

“No, no. Don’t think like that. You don’t even know if they can find him. It’s going to take years before this whole thing is dealt with.”

“I don’t want anything to change. Phil is great and Davey loves him and we’re all so happy. I don’t want to even think about this anymore. I’m happy. I want it to go away.”

“It’ll be okay, Dan. It will be okay.”


	6. Five

One morning in early May, Dan was seated at the breakfast table with the boys while Phil grabbed a cup of coffee on his way to work. Phil added his milk and sugar to the thermos and kissed his omega on the cheek before rubbing the man’s tummy and bidding the swollen mound goodbye.

“Don’t forget to register. Your appointment is today,” Dan reminded his husband.

“Right!” Phil exclaimed, taking out his phone and entering the time so he couldn’t forget once more.

Dan laughed and turned to the boys sitting at the table eating breakfast. “Your father would forget his head if it wasn’t for me.”

“You drive me nuts!” Phil rebutted. “I lost my mind years ago.”

“On the wedding night, I presume?” Dan smirked.

“Exactly.”

The boys looked at each other and then looked at their parents before shaking their heads.

“What?” Dan chuckled.

“Why do you guys think you can tell your stupid little sex jokes around us and we wouldn’t know what you were talking about?” Davey asked, annoyed with his father and step-father.

“What do you know about sex, David?” Dan asked seriously.

Davey laughed and looked at his step-brother. “Enough,” he answered cheekily.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Dan probed further.

“He’s a growing boy, Dan,” Phil said. “They’re twelve now.”

Dan took a bite of his eggs and eyed the preteens. “You’re both getting the talk later.”

“Ugh, Dad!” Josh frowned.

“Look,” Dan pointed to his stomach. “We won’t have any surprises around here.”

The little omega boy shook his head and rolled his eyes.

“Have a good day, love.” Phil kissed Dan on the cheek and ruffled Davey’s hair before leaving for the day. The children heard the school bus’ horn then grabbed their knapsacks and paper bag lunches. Finally, Dan was alone in the peace and quiet.

~.~.~

A few weeks later, during Dan’s afternoon nap, the postman arrived with the mail. Dan stumbled down the stairs, feeling awkward because he was eight and a half months along. Going outside into the warm spring air, Dan went to the postbox at the end of the driveway. Among the letters and flyers, he spotted a familiar insignia of the state. It was addressed to Mr. Philip M. Lester from the Department of Children and Families. The envelope was thick and intriguing.

That evening, when Phil announced that he would be taking a trip to Geneva to speak on behalf of W.O.W at a peace summit, Dan congratulated him with a celebratory glass of wine after dinner. The organization had gotten larger and received support from all over Europe. Phil was steadily becoming more and more famous and Dan was extremely proud.

The politics of his field took Phil by surprise. Suddenly he had to watch what he said to reporters for fear of them being used against him. Phil had defend his marriage with a previously bonded omega who didn’t have an alpha. He’d simply said there’s was a modern family, but a family nonetheless. He loved Dan and Davey with all his heart and that much was certain.

While they were cuddled on the sofa in the family room, Dan reached over to the end table and handed Phil the envelope that came earlier that day.

“What’s this?” Phil murmured. Dan shrugged.

“Read it and see.”

“To Mr. Philip Lester,

The Department of Children and Families requests your presence in a formal hearing on June 01, 2013… Your DNA matched that of a child conceived during heat by an unwilling omega…”

“Phil?” Dan asked slowly.

“Dan, I swear I haven’t!”

Dan got up from the sofa and backed away cautiously as Phil reread the letter for the third and fourth time.

“Dan, please! You have to believe me!”

“Your DNA matched! DNA doesn’t lie Phil!”

“It’s some sort of mistake. I am not the only Philip Lester in the entire country,” Phil argued. “I have only been with you and Noel. Please believe me!”

“No.”

“No?”

“No. I don’t believe you.”

“Sit,” Phil commanded.

“Yes, Phil.” Dan’s hands began to shake as he took a seat in the chair farthest away, in the corner. Phil kneeled down and took Dan’s hand into his own.

“I would never lie to you. I can control myself. I am not a rapist. Okay?”

“You promise?”

Phil sighed, “Yes. Now, can we enjoy our night and I’ll figure this out tomorrow?”

Dan nodded and smiled weakly.

~.~.~

It was a few days later when another letter, with the same symbol, arrived. This time it was addressed to Dan Howell-Lester.

“Mr. Daniel Howell-Lester,

Your case [#90648185] has been resolved. We request your presence at a hearing on June 01, 2012 at 14:30.

For questions and comments, please contact…”

The case number was different than the one Dan memorized. He called the office right then. The man on the other end told him, “Your request for child support has been resolved. The alpha has been found. On Monday, please arrive at the court house for the hearing. Do you have any questions?”

“I don’t want to see him. Why do I have to be there?”

“You requested the aide. You must appear to give a statement. The child in question must also be there. David Howell?”

“Yes, my son. Why does he need to be there?”

“Custody will be discussed. We do not simply enforce child support. If the alpha wishes to be present in the child’s life, he has the right to do so.”

“But-But he–”

“Yes, Mr. Howell-Lester?”

“Thank you for your help.”

“Thank you for calling the Department of Children and Families. Good bye.”

When the boys came home, Dan put on a smile for them and prepared an afternoon snack for them to eat while they worked on homework. He sat at the counter in the kitchen, looking at his son and stroking his stomach. Twelve years ago he was in the same position except the situation was very different. David doesn’t ask about his alpha parent anymore. Dan figures it’s because Phil took over so well, loving the boy like his own. Dan couldn’t stop thinking of how he would explain what happened to him twelve years ago to his son.

Phil came home a few hours later and upon seeing Dan’s grave face, he took him upstairs to talk in private.

“Tell me what’s wrong.”

“They’ve found Davey’s father and I have to see him on Monday at some hearing.”

“What’s the hearing for?”

“Child support and… custody.”

“Custody?”

“Yeah. I don’t want to lose Davey. He’s mine!” Dan’s body began to shake and Phil brought him closer to console him. “He’s always been mine. Why does he want him now? Davey has to go to. How do I tell him that he was conceived that way? His father is a rapist and now he can take my baby from me!”

“Shhh, maybe he’ll leave us alone.”

“No. Would you give up your right to see Josh if you found out he was yours?”

“This is different, Dan.” Phil rubbed up and down Dan’s back soothingly. “Listen, I will be there too. I’ll be sorting out my own case. I won’t let anything bad happen. Don’t worry okay?”

“How can I not worry? Alpha parent has more rights! He can take Davey away!”

“Please calm down. Nothing like that will happen. Please don’t make yourself sick. Think of the baby,” Phil said softly leading Dan to the bed. “It will be okay…”

~.~.~

“David, I need to have a talk with you,” Phil said when he went back downstairs. “Josh, can you excuse us?”

“Is Dad okay?” they asked.

“He’s just tired,” Phil confirmed. Josh got up from the table and left Phil and David alone. Phil sat down across from his stepson and sighed.

“What’s wrong?” the boy said.

“You’re getting older so I know you’ll be able to handle what I’m going to tell you.”

“Okay?”

“You know that I’m not your alpha parent. That’s obvious. But did you ever wonder where yours went?”

“When I was little, before you married Dad. Then it didn’t matter anymore.”

“Well, uh—,”

“Papa, is he dead?”

“No. He isn’t. In fact, you will see him on Monday at a hearing.”

“Why wasn’t he here all along? Why did he leave us?”

“Your Dad didn’t choose to be bonded and mated. Do you know what I mean?”

“Taken?” Davey whispered. “Dad was taken?”

“Yes, when he was sixteen. He was in early heat and an alpha he didn’t know mated him against his will.”

“Oh.” Davey slumped in his chair and grew uneasy. “I don’t want to see him, Papa. He’s… He’s a rapist isn’t he? We talk about it at school. That’s what a rapist does.”

“You’re right,” Phil agreed. “Now, there are a few things that might happen and I want you to be prepared. First, the judge might give him visitation rights if he wants it.”

“But I don’t want to see him! He hurt Daddy!”

“I know. I understand but he’s also your father.”

“Why isn’t he in prison?! Papa, he should be in prison!”

“It is not against the law to take an omega when he’s in heat.”

“That doesn’t make sense! Rape is rape! If he didn’t want it, he didn’t want it!”

“Davey, it’s the reason you exist.”

“It still doesn’t make it right…”

Phil was amazed. The boy was still young, an alpha, and even he knew the difference between right and wrong.

“Papa, if the same thing happened to Josh, I would kill the person who hurt him.” Phil stood up from his chair and went over the boy before pulling him a tight hug.

“You’re a good person. I’m glad to have you for a son.”

“Thank you, Papa.”

~.~.~

Monday morning was a bright one. Josh went to school by himself while Dan, Phil and Davey went to the court house to deal with all that was coming. The court house was bustling, people everywhere. Dan held onto Davey’s hand even though the boy was far too old to worry about getting lost. It was his instincts really. Dan needed to know that his children were safe and in his eyesight.

“What room are you going to?” Phil asked, wanting to stay with Dan for as long as possible.

“Court Room 11.”

“Me too.”

“Let’s go then.”

Phil walked ahead of Dan to make space for him in the crowd of people and open the large wooden door for him. They both saw a window for defendants and another for plaintiffs. Phil led Dan over to the defendant window before saying, “It will be okay.” Dan gave him a little smile.

“I’ll take care of him,” Davey said confidently. Phil nodded and left to deal with his own case.

~.~.~

“Now calling case number 90648185: Daniel Howell-Lester vs. Phil Lester.”

Phil heard the words and furrowed his brow. He looked over to see Dan standing there looking just as confused. Dan stood up and asked, “What does this mean?”

The judge read over the file again and shrugged. “May we begin the hearing?”

Dan nodded and watched as Phil rose from his seat as well.

“Now, this is peculiar,” said the judge. “You are married, is that correct?”

“Yes, your honor,” Phil answered. Dan was in a state of shock.

“Then this should be easy to sort out. Since it appears that you are in joint custody over the child, one David Howell, there is no need for an order of support. This case is hereby dismissed.” The judge banged the gavel signaling the end of the session.

“But I am not David’s father,” Phil protested.

“According to the test results, David Howell is your child.”

Dan listened to the man’s words and began to connect the dots. Davey’s eyes looked like Phil’s. Davey’s scent was so close Phil’s. Davey’s features were changing every day and the more Dan looked at his son, he began to notice the little things. The boy’s laugh was like his step father’s and so was his gait. Dan had to wonder if it was all nurture… or nature.

He began to panic. Had he been living with his rapist all this time? The man whom he’d fallen in love with? The same man who fought for the rights of his gender? Dan’s breathing started to falter and he struggling to stand. A sharp pain wracked through his backside and abdomen and then a flood of water gushed down to his feet. 


	7. Six

“Dan? Dan, baby, are you okay?”

“Where am I?” he asked.

Phil smiled and squeezed his husband’s hand. “You’re in hospital. You went into labor.”

“Labor? How did I miss it?” Dan asked drowsily. “M’ tummy hurts.”

“When we got here, the doctor said the baby was in distress and they had to deliver by C-section. Do you remember what happened before this?”

“No,” Dan shook his head. “Where is she? Where is my baby?”

Phil helped Dan sit up on the bed, listening to him wince because the scar on his stomach still needed to heal. Then, Phil turned around to the bassinet behind him, picking up the baby girl that was only a few hours old.

“Here she is. Little Christina,” Phil cooed, handing the infant to her father.

“Wow,” Dan smiled. “Wow, she looks like Davey did when he was born. She even smells the same way he did. That wonderful baby smell.”

“She’s beautiful. You did well, Dan.”

Dan was too caught up in his newborn to really listen to anything but her gentle breathing and cooing.

“Good news! My sister is visiting with everybody to welcome us home. They’ve got the house all ready for you two.”

“That’s so nice,” Dan smiled down at Christina. “She’s ours. All ours. Where are the boys?”

“Just outside. Should I go get them?”

“Yes, let them see their baby sister.”

Phil went into the hallway and returned only a few moments later. Dan smiled when he saw the boys come in and open their eyes wide in awe.

“She’s so little,” Josh said in a hushed whisper.

“Hello, Chrissy,” Davey added. “She’s pretty, Dad.”

Dan nodded in agreement. “She has Papa’s eyes.”

Davey face changed, his smile disappeared and he practically snarled as Phil came closer to Dan on the other side of the bed.

“What’s gotten into you?” Dan asked confused.

“I don’t want him to touch you,” Davey explained.

“What? Why?”

“Daddy, he hurt you.”

“No he didn’t,” Dan “What is he talking about, Phil?”

“He’s confused, love. The boy is confused.”

“No, I’m not! You took Dad. You’re my father and you hurt him!”

“What?” Dan murmured.

“Daddy, you don’t remember? What happened in court? Before the baby came?”

“David, stop!” Phil commanded. The smaller alpha child huffed but kept his mouth shut. Josh came to his side and pursed his lips looking up at his father, Phil. Davey had told him what happened earlier that day.

“Phil, what’s he talking about? You’re his father?”

Phil settled on the edge of the bed and reached forward to stroke Dan’s arm that was cradling Christina close to his chest. “There’s been a mistake. The court seems to think that I am David’s alpha parent. But that can’t be true. Dan, I never would have done something like that.”

Dan met his eyes and tears were appearing at the edges. Dan glanced between his young daughter and his angry son and Phil.

“Please say something,” Phil told him.

“I think you should take the boys home,” Dan mumbled quietly, moving his gaze to the children. “Get them some dinner and in bed.”

Phil nodded and began picking up their things. “I’ll come back tonight,” he informed Dan.

As he left the room, Phil noticed that Dan didn’t raise his head when he said goodbye.

~.~.~

The morning Dan and Christina were set to be discharged, one of the nurses came to give Christina her final checkup before leaving the hospital. Phil was sleeping in the sofa by the window and Dan watching over the infant as the nurse made a few notes.

“I’ll have to take her into the nursery. I’ll weight her and run a few screenings to make sure she’s alright. We’ll be back soon,” she smiled, wheeling the bassinet out of the room. Dan nodded, not really in the speaking mood.

Soon enough Phil cracked his eyes open and wiped away the sleep. Looking over at Dan, he smiled only to lose it when Dan dropped his gaze and turned over in his bed.

“Dan?”

“Yes, Phil?” Dan replied, his voice soft and submissive.

Phil asked, “Are you still upset?”

“You raped me,” he said in a whisper so low, Phil almost didn’t hear it. But he did and Phil walked over to the other side of the bed and laid his hand on Dan’s as Dan cried slow heavy tears.

“It was not me,” Phil said calmly, trying his hardest not to become angry with Dan for not believing him. They were supposed to trust each other, they were in love. “Please believe me. I’ll have another test done to prove it to you.”

“Please don’t touch me,” Dan begged. Phil removed his hand and looked down into his husband’s wet brown eyes.

“Okay.”

About ten minutes later, the same nurse brought Christina back and Dan tried desperately to dry his eyes.

“Are you alright?” she asked, concern marking her face.

“Yes, I’m fine. I moved to quickly and pulled at the stitches.”

“Do you mind if I take a look?” she asked, worried that he rip one open. Dan lifted the sheet to show her his incision and she inspected it quickly, realizing that he was fine. Next, she began reading the notes from Christina’s test.

“She’s 7 pounds, 3 ounces, about 18 inches. Her eyes are good but I am concerned about her hearing.”

“What’s wrong with her hearing?” Dan questioned, picking up the baby from her bassinet.

“I performed a hearing screening and Christina did not pass. It’s a sign of severe hearing loss.”

“She is deaf?” Phil asked.

“Nothing is conclusive yet. You will have to see a specialist to be sure but according to the primary screening, she is not able to hear at all.”

Just then Christina cooed and reached upwards not grasping anything in particular. She looked at Dan and he swore he saw her smile, as if she recognized him.

“Dr. Roberts is going to speak to you about the diagnosis you might get and what this means,” the young woman said. “Before you leave this afternoon, we’ll give you the number of some resources available to families who have a special needs child.”

“Oh my god,” Dan started to sob. “You don’t deserve this,” he told the baby.

There was knock on the door and a tall woman in a white coat entered the room. She was thin in build and confident. “I’m Dr. Roberts, the hearing specialist.”  
Phil shook the hand of the alpha woman and greeted her.

Going over the child’s chart, Dr. Roberts nodded a few times and then asked, “Do your other children have hearing issues?”

“No,” Phil answered. “Dan, did Davey have any?”

“No,” he said, shaking his head.

“This is strange. I suspect that this is hereditary. Dan was completely healthy during the pregnancy, the infant’s ears have formed correctly and she was not premature. I’m going to have to perform a more invasive examination to see the cause.”

“What happens if it is hereditary?” Phil asked.

“We’ll see what we can do after the examination. Sometimes, a cochlear implant will help and other times, it will be something she will have to live with. Nothing is certain at the moment.”

“Alright.”

“You can have hope. Sometimes, our screenings are not accurate. You said your other children do not suffering from hearing loss so maybe this is a mistake.”

“Our children are from previous relationships,” Phil explained. “Christina is our first child together.”

“Oh, that changes everything.”

~.~.~

“Please take a tissue,” Dr. Roberts said, a few weeks later. Dan and Phil returned to the doctor’s office on another floor at the same hospital to have Christina tested again. Dr. Roberts just told them that her inner ear is malformed and at the moment, there was nothing to be done. Dan was now weeping as the news was still a shock to him. He had done everything right but still his little girl was born this way.

“I want you both to know that she can lead a very happy, normal life. Many people with complete deafness do. She’ll grow and learn, albeit differently, but she will grow and learn like her peers.”

Phil took the pamphlets that were laid out in front of them on the woman’s desk.

“My first suggestion is to learn sign language. It’s amazing really. Babies as young as one can actually communicate better using sign language. She’ll be able to tell you if she’s hungry or sleepy or wants a certain toy just by manipulating her hands.”

“Really?” Dan sniffled.

“Yes,” she answered. “There is so much you can do to communicate and ensure that she’s happy. It will be okay. Christina will be okay.”

“Thank you for the reassurance.”

“Next, I need to talk to you about the genetic screening we did on the both of you.”

“What did you find?” Phil asked.

“It seems that you both carry a genetic mutation. Although, neither of you have hearing loss, this particular mutation means that all your children will suffer from either partial or complete deafness.”

“What does this all mean?”

“If you and Phil have any more children,” Dr. Roberts began. “They all will have the same congenital defect.”

Dan thought aloud, “That means Davey isn’t yours, Phil.”

“I _know_ he isn’t mine. I told you I would never do that.” The couple took a moment of silence in the doctor’s office as she sat there confused.

“I’m sorry for not believing you.”

“Yeah,” Phil nodded. “I’m sorry too.”

“Is everything okay?” the doctor asked softly.

Dan nodded. “It will be.”

~.~.~

One Year Later

Phil and Dan went into the house, after a day out with Christina, where they were met with “Surprise!” and Phil’s family. Christina wasn’t startled by the small crowd and she went around passing from relative to relative who wanted to see the toddler who cooed at everyone in her eyesight. Her wide blue eyes stared back and everyone remarked on how much of a beauty she was.

“You all broke into my house?” Phil chuckled.

His sister-in-law, Elaine, said, “The kids let us in. We just came back from Belize!”

“Phil!” Tom shouted when he saw his brother.

“Tom, it’s nice to have you back!” Phil said, hugging his brother after the long tour of duty he had in Central America. The man still had on his army uniform, his blonde hair visible from under his cap.

“Dan, come and meet my brother, Tom. He used to take care of Josh after…”

Dan looked up from talking to his niece and was instantly taken back. He went silent and his grip on Phil tightened.

“It’s nice to finally meet you,” Tom said politely. “He’s pretty like you said, Phil.”

Phil laughed and shook his head. “I did not call you pretty. I know how much you hate that.”

Phil didn’t notice Dan’s change until he begged to be taken upstairs. Phil assisted him after excuse them from the crowd, that was too interested in Christina to care in the slightest.

Phil helped Dan onto the bed and kissed his forehead. He asked, “What’s wrong? Are you ill? Should I call a doctor or take you back to the hospital?”

“Tom…” Dan mumbled.

“What about Tom?”

“I think he was the one that…”

“That?”

“Raped me.”

Phil sat down on the bed and lifted Dan’s chin up to make him look him in the eye. “What makes you say that?”

“The voice… the eyes… the way he called me pretty.”

Phil went silent, then suddenly stood up from his spot on the bed. With his fists clenched, he said, “I’m going to kill him!”

“Wait! He’s Davey’s father.”

“So?!”

“That means you aren’t! You need to get your name cleared. This could get out and ruin you. They’ll say that you take omegas, have children living off state money and it’ll destroy the organization. While he’s here, I’ll just stay away from him.”

“I’m going to have him arrested. He raped you.”

“It won’t do anything. I was in heat. We’ve been over this.”

“Well, I won’t have him in this house. This is your home. He may be my brother but he’s not welcome here.”

“Hey, Phil?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you.”

“I love you and I’m sorry you had to go through all this.”

~.~.~

Downstairs, Phil saw Tom messing around the children.

“Tom, can talk to you alone?”

“Yeah sure.”

Phil led his brother into his home office and locked the door.

“I would appreciate it if you answered me truthfully.”

“Alright. What the hell is wrong with you Phil?”

“Thirteen years ago, when you still lived around here, did you ever bond with an omega other than Elaine?”

“Why are you asking?”

“Please just answer the question.”

“Yeah, a few.”

Phil had to take a double take at his brother. “A few?”

“Yeah. You know how it is. Sometimes you want something new to play with,” Tom chuckled. “I had a few in heat. Just perfect.”

“Tom, are you saying you raped those omegas?”

“They were begging for it, Phil.” Tom walked around the room with a look of confusion on his face. “It isn’t rape under the law.”

“But you know it’s wrong.”

“There’s nothing wrong with giving them what they asked for.”

“Dan did _not_ ask for it!” Phil shouted, approaching Tom.

“Dan?”

“Yes, he said he recognizes you from that night. Thirteen years ago he became pregnant with Davey.”

“Are you saying I have a son? Thank god, I was getting tired of nothing but girls. Wow, a son!”

“You are not listening! You raped my husband!”

“He liked it.”

“You bastard!” Phil yelled. Phil grabbed his older brother by the collar. The man was in the military. He quickly overpowered him and through him down to the ground.

“Watch it!” Tom growled. “We were having such a nice visit and you had to go and ruin it with your equal rights bullshit. I always know you were a just like a bitch. What kind of alpha are you? Ever since you started talking about helping the omegas all the time, I knew you were just like them. And then when you married the little whore—,”

“Don’t call him that!”

“He already had a kid and you just took the leftovers of another man. At least David shares the same genes. I hope you enjoyed raising my son because after tonight, I’m taking him. There’s no way I’m letting him become like you.”

“He isn’t yours to take!” Phil got up to his feet and grabbed his phone. “I’m calling the police.”

“Call them. They’re just going to say David is mine. Now,” Tom started. “Should I tell him to pack his bags or will you?”

“He won’t go with you. You can’t take him. This is his home,” Phil reasoned.

“Fine. I’ll just have it out in court. I want my son.”

Tom left the office and Phil tried to recover from everything that had just happened.

~.~.~

“What are we going to do?!” Dan panicked.

“I’m thinking!” Phil replied. He was pacing the living room where Dan and the boys were sitting. Everyone else left after the fight with Tom. Phil told them they need some quiet since Dan just came home from hospital.

“He can’t take Davey,” Dan started to sob.

“Dad, I won’t go. No matter what, I won’t go.”

“Dan, Tom said he had a few more other than you.”

“Oh god,” Dan gasped.

“Does that mean Davey has more brothers and sisters?” Josh asked curiously. Phil paused and thought for a moment. “That’s exactly what it means. There must be. And maybe one of them counts as rape. Maybe a female who wasn’t in heat.”

“How do we find out?” Dan added.

“I have a few connections. I’ll find a way. He needs to be put in prison.”

 

 


	8. Seven

Phil went to the office and started to work, calling the people he knew in the different departments of the government. He finally got a close lead when he spoke to a woman named Claire, who worked closely with the Department of Children and Families.

“I need you to find any files that are linked to Thomas L. Lester and Philip M. Lester.”

“This is so illegal, Phil.”

“I’ll owe you for the rest of my life.”

“You already do… for that one kidnapping…”

“Shhh, you said you would never speak of that again.”

“I found something!”

“What is it?”

“Thomas Lester fathered a child… a female.”

“Where is she?”

“She lives in Silver Crest with her mother, Nathalie Kensington. She’s almost thirteen.”

“Same age as Davey. What else does it say?”

“There are huge sections blacked out, like someone is trying to hide something.”

“Is there an order of support? He’s never even mentioned her.”

“There is nothing here except what I’ve told you and her address.”

Phil sat down at his desk and pulled out a noted pad. “Give me the address.”

“Phil, this is going too far.”

“I need it, Claire. Please?” he begged.

~.~.~

A few days later, Phil arrived at a large apartment complex. He parked in an unmarked space and made his way to the fifth floor where he knocked on door 512. A woman, an omega in her late twenties or early thirties answered the door. She wore a simple dress and her hair was tied up in a messy bun of spiraled curls. Her brown skin and large almond eyes surprised Phil. She was beautiful, with a Greek nose and long eyelashes.

“Can I help you?” she asked in a soft voice. Her accent was nice, clean.

Phil cleared his throat and said, “Hello, my name is Phil Lester. I’m trying to find the whereabouts of my niece.”

“Your niece?”

“Yes. My brother has a child, said to be living here at this address.”

“Would you like to come in?” she asked, moving away from the door, allowing Phil to see into the flat. Their home was clean, practically spotless Phil noticed. This wasn’t the best neighborhood, certainly different from anywhere he had ever lived.

Phil nodded before making his way inside. Sitting down on the couch, he noticed the pictures in the living room. Almost all of them were of this woman and a little girl of pale, white skin and very curly blonde hair.

“Tea?”

“What?” Phil asked startled.

“Would you like some tea? I have _some_ manners, you know,” she said in a laugh.

“Yes, thank you.”

As she left the room, she looked back at Phil meeting his eyes. She furrow her brow and then shook her head. Phil wondered if she recognized his family’s features.

When Nathalie finally returned, she sat down with Phil and sighed before saying, “Lester? You are that jackasses’ brother?”

Phil sputtered out a response, saying, “Yes, Thomas is my brother.”

“Why are you here?”

“Well, it is a very long story.”

“The water still isn’t boiling. We have time,” Nathalie said. “Why are you in my home?”

Phil took a deep breath before he began. “Almost eight years ago, I fell in love with a wonderful man. He was warm, wonderful, and beautiful. And he had a child of his own, no alpha to take care of him.”

“What happened to the alpha?”

“Dan was taken one night, didn’t know who it was and became pregnant.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, and when the new laws were passed, the courts thought I was the one who took him. As you can imagine, Dan was heartbroken.”

“Were you the one?” Nathalie questioned without attitude. Her demeanor remained friendly and cordial.

“No. I couldn’t do that to anyone.”

“Are you sure you are related to Thomas?”

Phil nodded solemnly, sad to know that all his suspicions and judgments about his brother were true. “We eventually found out that it was impossible for me to have been the alpha. When Dan finally met Thomas, he knew he was the one. It doesn’t matter because–,”

“Dan was in heat?”

“Exactly. It isn’t illegal.”

“I know.”

“Then my next question is: Were you raped or taken?”

“Raped,” she said, clearing her throat.

“Did you go to the police?”

“Yes, the night it happened. They didn’t believe me though. I had been to party earlier that night and had a cup of beer. I wasn’t drunk, barely tipsy but they dismissed everything.”

“They can’t do that.”

“I know. But they did. I figure it was for a mixture of several reasons. I was young, I was drinking, and I’m an omega and I’m Black. I’m a second class citizen in my own country. The bottom of the food chain.”

Phil nodded. “I understand why you feel that way. How did you know Thomas was the one?”

“After I had Asha, I asked for aide or child support. Turns out all I had to say was that my alpha ran off and they could use the database to find him. Lucky for me, he was in the military. Actually someone else helped me through the entire process.”

“Wait. Did you ever go to the W.O.W office? In the city?”

“Yes, a nice… man… It was you!” Nathalie announced. “What a small world.”

Phil laughed lightly. “It is. Too small sometimes.”

“Yeah… I think I’ll go and get the tea.”

Phil nodded and watched her stand up. A few seconds later he heard the phone ring and lights flash in the around the flat. A young girl came in to the living room and turned on a screen, then the phone stopped ringing. Phil saw her moving her hands and someone on screen with a headset signed back.

The conversation was short and when she was done she turned around, obviously confused about the man sitting in her living room.

Phil asked, “Are you Asha?”

The girl tapped on her ear twice and shook her head. He then asked again, signing this time. He had been practicing for Christina and picked up quite a bit.

When she saw him move his hands and fingers, she smiled and nodded, replying with, “It is nice to meet you. What is your name?”

“P-H-I-L,” he replied.

“You know sign language?” Nathalie asked, coming back with a tray with two cups of tea on them and sugar.

“Yes, my daughter is deaf so my husband and I are learning along with her.”

“How old is your daughter?”

“About 18 months.”

“Asha lost her hearing around that age. She got meningitis and the medicine destroyed her hearing,” Nathalie commented, almost casually as if she had said the lines many times before.

When Nathalie put the tray down, she explained who Phil was to Asha and he watched the reaction of the girl. Her smile faded and her face grew pale.

“What is wrong?” Phil asked her.

“Will you hurt us?” Asha asked.

“No. I want to help you. My stepson is your brother. I want to help you both.”

Asha sat down next to her mother. She was wearing a short white dress with black polka dots. Her light brown hair was long down her back and the ends were blonde, like her father’s. Her eyes were a deep brown, sad like her mothers.

“How do you plan to do that?”

“I want to take him to court and have him arrested. What he did to you was illegal and he should be punished.”

“But he’s your brother.”

“He’s hurt too many people. He’s no longer my brother. Only a monster.”

“Look,” Nathalie said seriously, “I do not want any trouble. He’s been here once before, when they ordered him to pay child support.”

“Was he violent?” Phil asked worriedly.

Nathalie nodded. “That is why Asha is so afraid. She was five and remembers the whole thing. He just stormed in and pushed her aside, came after me and began beating me. A neighbor came in and threatened to call the police so he left.”

“He never came back?”

“No.”

“Did you eventually call the police?”

“They wouldn’t do anything so I didn’t bother. Phil, no one cares about some single parent omega. I don’t trust this government. They’re ready to take her away at the first sign of trouble.”

“I promise I won’t let him hurt you again. Will you help me put him in jail? You’re the only one who can do it.”

“Why is this so important to you?”

“He’s going to take my husband’s son away from us.”

Nathalie put down her cup of tea and looked at her daughter who was staring back at her. “Okay. I don’t know what I would do if anyone tried to take her away. I’ll help you.”

“Thank you.”

~.~.~

Dan, Phil, and Nathalie were sitting in the living room together, talking to Phil’s lawyer, Jonathan Kent, who was said to be the best. The children were all upstairs getting to know each other as family.

“What is your background?” Jonathan asked. “Where did you grow up? Who are your parents?”

Nathalie answered, “I grew up in Georgetown with my mother and father. I was oldest of three girls, the only omega. Most of my childhood was spent in music schools and concert halls. I was set to become famous. Many said I was a prodigy.”

“What instrument?” Dan queried.

“Piano. I could play from the age of three. Around sixteen I got tired of it all, started sneaking out, staying out until morning, drinking and doing all the things my mother would hate. Anyway, my family is very conservative and strict, especially with me. They saw that I was becoming rebellious and tried to stop me from making the wrong decisions. That’s when everything went wrong. I had to get out of that house, I just had to. I went to party near the campus of Blackwell Uni. I had a drink or two and when I tried to walk home, I was dragged into an alley and raped.”

“This could pose a problem,” Jonathan remarked. “Drinking often makes jurors think it’s the victim’s fault.”

“I said no. I know that I did,” Nathalie added. “But he didn’t stop. He just kept saying how pretty I was and how I shouldn’t be alone at this time of night.”

“What happened next?”

“I went home and slept for three days straight. I tried to wash it all away but my scent had changed. For the next few months, I did everything my parents said. I went back to music school again, performed in a few venues. I even got to travel to Asia for a short tour and then it happened. One of my dresses wouldn’t fit. I was tight around the middle. My mother forced me to take a pregnancy test and before the results were clear my father had already made up his mind.”

“Did he throw you out?”

“Faster than last week’s rubbish. I was seventeen, pregnant and alone. My aunt took me in. I told her what happened and she explained it to my parents. They helped me find a place and start my life. Dad said I couldn’t stay around to influence my sisters. It was my fault for not listening to him.”

Jonathan made a few notes in his notebook. “This will be a hard case to fight.”

“What’s wrong?” Phil asked, clasping Dan’s hand as his husband became emotional at the woman’s story.

“Consent isn’t clear. He’ll say that Nathalie was drinking, never said no and now doesn’t remember.”

“More people are supportive of the ‘Only Yes Means Yes’ initiative. Maybe we can win based on that,” Phil proposed.

“It’s a stretch but this could set a precedent.”

“What does that mean?” Dan and Nathalie asked in unison.

“If we win, every rape case after this will be judged based on the standard. Any case in which the victim did not give unobstructed consent will be ruled in favor of the victim.”

~.~.~

Upstairs, Asha was shy, unable to communicate with her new brother and cousins. Davey used some of the sign language he had been learning to make her feel more comfortable.

“How old are you?” he asked.

“Twelve.”

“Yes! I’m still the oldest,” Davey smiled. Asha giggled. “I was born in February and Josh was born July. Now, you have two older brothers.”

“I’m happy to hear that,” she signed, knowing the irony behind her usage of the phrase.

Davey laughed and asked aloud, not knowing how to sign it, “Is that a figure of speech?”

“Yes and so was that,” she retorted, giggling even harder. Because she extremely hard of hearing, not even the hearing aide attached to her ear could make her hear conversations, mostly loud noises and yelling that sounded fuzzy. Asha could lip read which made communicating with the hearing much easier. She tried speaking but felt too self-conscious about what she might sound like.

She watched as the boys made a face and pointed at each other before Josh eventually got up and left the room. He soon returned with Christina who was fussing in his arms. Asha saw Davey ask Josh if she was okay. He replied that she was just cranky. The 18 month old toddler eventually stopped her crying when she saw the stranger standing there.

Asha signed, “Hello” and the little girl waved. Josh tried to give Asha the baby but she backed away, too afraid that she would drop her. Davey invited her to sit in the white rocking chair, guessing why the girl was so apprehensive. When she sat down, Josh plopped his little sister in Asha’s lap.

“She is deaf too,” Davey told her.

Asha held the little brunette baby close to her body, fearing she would fall. Christina smiled up at Asha and pulled on her long braid that was draped over her shoulder.

Asha cried out and made a face, causing the baby to giggle.

“I can tell we are going to be good friends Christina,” Asha smiled. “I like laughing at other people’s pain too.”

“Oh god,” Josh groaned playfully.

“What’d she say?” Davey asked, not having picked up at much sign language at Josh has. He was always better at languages in general.

“She says she likes laughing at the pain of others.”

Davey laughed. “My sisters… I love them.”


	9. Eight

The case had gone national. The lawsuit brought against a national hero, an alpha, by the once respectable omega shocked everyone. People talked about it at the water cooler, in the newspapers, on the radio and over social media. Support was split between the two. Alpha males strongly supported Thomas. He represented them and their ever fading rights. However alpha females, who are also susceptible to rape because they were females, beta females and all omegas supported Nathalie. The majority of the world was being victimized on a daily basis and they seemed to gather support in the much of the western world. Countries like France, Switzerland and Germany had already outlawed sexual abuse in all its forms. If the victim could not consent without aide of any drug, natural or unnatural, then any sexual act done towards them was deemed illegal.

This was the fifth day of court proceedings. The courtroom was packed, camera’s rolling as the judge made her way to the bench. Nathalie and Thomas were both standing as they pledge their honesty. Phil, Dan and all the children were seated behind Nathalie for support. There was even an interpreter present so Asha could follow along.

Outside, there were protesters. The day was overcast, ominous. There was a hard wind blowing through the trees. It was late October and the leaves were turning, everything changing in the new light. The men and women singing out the courthouse were composed of alphas, betas and omegas, standing up for the rights of all people. There was far reaching cry from the citizens of the United Kingdom. As one news reporter put it, “This would bring new meaning to who was most powerful, the people or the system. Is the UK ready for such change? We’ll have to wait and see.”

The first few days of the case was comprised of reviewing old evidence and presenting it all to the jury of six. It was a fair assembly; two alphas, betas and omegas. The judge was Victoria Rainer, an alpha female known for strict court proceedings and just decisions. She was a force to be reckoned with. All who knew politics and law feared her and it was rumored that she strong-armed the case away from a lesser known judge. This would mean big things for her. She would be plastered all over media for her decisions, written in history books, her biography would one day be a part of some student’s A-Level coursework. Yes, this was power.

The alpha female, a part of the human race, is particularly special. She is at the top. Her nature does not rule her. She thinks with her brain, instead of a knot. Though males are physically larger, her intelligence is remarkable. Victoria Rainer was sure to make the right decisions; if not for the country, for herself. She knew what was at stake.

The media had talking about her for weeks now, ever since the case was announced during prime time on the six o’clock news. Phil had been on the news too. In the past two days, he’s been on BBC and CNN, speaking on behalf of Nathalie, Dan and all the abuse victims in the world. Dan was immensely proud of him, especially when one interviewer asked Phil, “How does it feel to know that many people believe that you should not have married a bonded omega? They say it is sin.”

“The only sin I committed,” Phil replied. “Was not marrying him sooner. No one has ever been so good to me since my first mate. He’s a great husband, father and partner. I will do whatever it takes to protect him. If that means letting every alpha hate me for the rest of my life, so be it.”

Dan was sitting right next to him and blushed, trying not to gush on national television. He squeezed Phil’s hand as the man started to get flustered after talking so forcefully.

“How do you feel about that Dan?”

Dan could do nothing but shake his head and chuckle.

Back in the courtroom, the prosecution was calling their first witness. “We call Thomas Lester to the stand.”

Tom stood up slowly, flashing the jurors a big toothy smile, and eventually stepping onto the witness stand.

“Do you understand the charges brought against you?”

“Not entirely.”

“Ms. Nathalie Kensington has accused you of rape. What do you not understand about that?”

“I didn’t rape anybody. She was in heat.”

The prosecutor, a tall dark-skinned woman dressed in purple tweed, nodded her head before returning to the table. She took out a folder, opened it and drew her finger over it before saying, “That night Ms. Kensington went to the police. They performed a battery of tests to determine if she was lucid. Her hormonal balance that night showed no sign of a heat, Mr. Lester.”

“Well, she was drunk.”

“And that gives you the right to assault her?”

“She came on to me,” he said cockily.

Nathalie shook her head and turned in her chair, looking back at Dan and Phil, who were watching from behind. Phil laid his hand on her shoulder in reassurance while Asha smiled. She soon calmed down.

“What were you doing near a university campus at two in the morning? You have a family and a mate to watch over and protect.”

“I was having a drink at the pub nearby. They were fine at home.”

“Don’t you ever think about what might happen to them when they’re out of your sight?” the prosecutor asked. “An alpha like you might break in and say that your mate was ‘asking for it’.”

“She would never!” Thomas growled.

“What makes you so sure?”

“I object to the line of question!” Thomas’ lawyer interjected. “What does my client’s mate have to do with this?”

“Overruled,” said the judge. “Please continue.”

“Mr. Lester, tell me do you stalk your victims or do you choose them at random?”

“They choose me,” he snarled. “I have no victims.”

“Here, I have a list of all the complaints pledged against you,” the prosecutor said, holding up a stack of papers. “Nine women and five men have either been assaulted by you in heat or by rape.”

“They’re all liars! The whole lot of them. When we were done, they turned on me!”

The prosecutor chuckled. “Are you just that bad?”

The courtroom fell into sudden uproar and the judge had to regain control quickly, though it was obvious she was hiding her own giggles. “Order! Order!”

When peace was restored, the prosecutor allowed Thomas’ lawyer to cross-examine. He started off by asking, “Mr. Lester, you are a military man. Correct?”

“Yes, sir.”

“A national hero,” the lawyer commented. “How many times have you been decorated for you service?”

“Five times, sir.”

“Five times. Five times!” the lawyer reiterated. “What we have here today is sad case of omega guilt gone wrong. This young woman was, from my understanding, a confused young adult. She was intoxicated and when she approached my client, what was he going to do? Just leave her there all alone? Is that what you would have done?”

“No, sir. It wouldn’t be right.”

“Exactly. Mr. Lester was simply trying to help the girl. When she came on to him, as many omegas do in early heat or when under the influence, he couldn’t resist. Men will be men and boys will be boys. This is a basic understanding of human nature.”

“I object!” the prosecutor interrupted. “Scientific studies done at Oxford, Harvard and Columbia all support the theory that alpha males are not controlled solely by hormones. They can sustain bodily control even during the full heat of an omega. It is the omega who loses executive function for reproductive tasks.”

“Sustained,” the judge nodded. “Move on please.”

“No further questions.”

Next on the stand was Elaine Lester, the defendant’s wife and Phil’s sister-in-law.

“Please state your name.”

“Elaine Margaret Lester.”

“You have been married to Thomas Lester for fifteen years?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“When did you find out he had another child with another omega?”

“When I heard Phil s-screaming at him.”

“Are you referring to Philip Lester, the defendant’s brother?”

“Yes, we were at his house and I heard Thomas and Philip arguing in the back room.”

“What was the argument about?”

Elaine looked over at her husband and bowed her head. “I didn’t hear most of it.”

“Then tell me what you did hear,” the prosecutor urged carefully. She knew Elaine was being intimidated by her husband so she skillfully stepped in front of Elaine’s field of vision, blocking her from Thomas’ mean gaze.

“I-I heard Thomas say he was happy to have a son, that he was tired of only having girls.”

“How many children do you two have together?”

“One.”

“A female?”

“Yes, Mina. She’s fourteen now.”

“So who was Mr. Lester referring to when he said _girls_?”

“Miss Kensington’s daughter.”

“Did you know about her previously?”

“No.”

“No?”

“I wasn’t sure. I had seen papers on the desk in the living room from the child support agency but I never looked through them.”

“Why not? They must have intrigued you.”

“Thomas handles the post. I-I have my duties in the home and he has his.”

“What are you duties?”

“To submit. Do what he says.”

“Does that include letting him bond other omegas, knowing how much emotional and physical pain that causes you?”

“Objection!” Thomas’ lawyer called out.

“Yes! He says I have to let him! I can’t say anything!”

The judge banged her gavel three times. “Control your witness.”

The prosecutor smiled, knowing that no matter what the judge says, the jury heard what they needed to hear. Thomas was uncaring alpha who neither protected or cared for his family. He was controlling and though this trait marked the alpha of the old generation, today’s betas and omegas wouldn’t stand for it.

“Your witness,” she said to Thomas’ lawyer, allowing the man to take over questioning.

“Mrs. Lester, do you love my client?”

“Y-Yes.”

“Does he provide you with a good home, food, clothes and money? Are you and your child healthy?”

“Yes, he does all those things but…”

“But what? What doesn’t this man do for you? Isn’t he a good husband, protecting you from other alphas and ensuring that you don’t have to work outside the home?”

“Yes.”

“Isn’t he a good father to your daughter?”

“Sometimes.”

“Can you explain what you mean by that?”

“Mina is an omega.”

“And?”

“I-I don’t know for sure!”

“You must answer the question,” Judge Rainer told her firmly.

“She’s growing up and becoming a young woman and I see the way he looks at her. My Mina, s-she shakes when he comes into a room. I don’t know what he’s done to her but she’s terrified of him!”

“Have you considered that your husband is the disciplinarian? Perhaps the girl is hiding something?”

“Thomas has done something to her or he’s threatened her! She was never like this before. I don’t trust him!” Elaine cried. “I want him out of my house!”

“No further questions.”

Mina was sitting on the other side of the courtroom. When Phil looked over to her, he saw her tearing up and staring into space. Her long blonde hair was the same color as Asha’s. They were sisters with two very different home lives. “I didn’t think he would touch her,” he told Dan.

“When all this is over, we need to make sure she’s okay,” Dan replied.

~.~.~

“The prosecution calls Nathalie Kensington to the stand.”

Nathalie went into the witness stand and pledged her honesty before they began.

“You have accused Mr. Thomas Lester of rape and sexual assault. Correct?”

“Yes, ma’am,” she replied politely.

“Can you recount the events of that night, starting with your leaving the party you were attending?”

“Yes, ma’am. I-I left the party around 1:45. I decided to walk home because it was only a ten minute walk and I wasn’t feeling well. I—uh—felt someone pull on my arm and cover my mouth so I couldn’t scream. I was dragged into the alley…”

~.~.~

“Ms. Kensington, you said you weren’t feeling well?” Thomas’ lawyer asked.

“Yes.”

“Were you ill?”

“No.”

“Why weren’t you feeling well? Was it the alcohol?”

“Probably,” she answered truthfully.

“Most likely. You have a BAC level of .7, way above the legal limit. At the time you were seventeen. Are you aware that it is illegal to drink under the age of 20 as an omega?”

“Yes.”

“So after you left the party at 1:45 in the morning, when you should have been in bed, you walked around?”

“I walked home.”

“You said in your statement that the incident occurred in between Martyn’s Grocer and The Little Book Nook, shops that are ten blocks out of the way from the route you should have taken to go back to your home. Is that correct?”

“Yes.”

“So you were wondering the streets in the peak hours of the morning. Can you explain that? Was it because you were drunk?”

“No, I wasn’t drunk. I didn’t want to go home. I knew my parents would be upset so I tried to avoid them for as long as possible,” she replied.

“Why would they be upset?”

“I was out late, drinking and breaking the rules.”

“Exactly. You were breaking the rules. You are the reason why we are all here. You are the reason why an upstanding citizen is having his name and his reputation destroyed. You are the reason for what happened that night. You are the reason why that child of yours doesn’t know her own father.”

“That’s not true! I said no! I told him to stop!”

“He says you didn’t. No one else was there that night.”

“I certainly didn’t say yes!”

“That fact is that you led him on. You wanted to be a bad girl and go to parties and drink. Now, you have to pay the price.”

“That isn’t fair! You can’t say that! He took everything from me! He did the same thing to his own brother-in-law!”

“Order!” Judge Rainer called, banging her gavel. “Control yourself Ms. Kensington,” she warned.

“Dan Howell-Lester was in heat. He had a child. There’s no use bringing him into this.”

“Dan said no!”

“He eventually begged, as they always do.”

“His nature made him. He didn’t want to.”

“Let’s focus on you, Ms. Kensington. Were you under the influence of alcohol on the night in question?”

“Yes, I was.”

“Did my client hear you say the word no?”

“I don’t know what he heard!” she cried frustrated. “I know I told him to stop! I didn’t want this. I didn’t want any of this.”

“So now you want to throw around your omega guilt and break up families and break up this country?”

“No! I want justice. I want justice from my little girl! I don’t want her to have to go through this!”

“No further questions,” he said, dismissing her.

“I said no!” Nathalie continued to decree. “No! He doesn’t understand the meaning of the word.”

“Ms. Kensington, I have warned you,” said Judge Rainer.

 Nathalie quieted down and stood up from the witness stand, feeling defeated. When she made her way back to her seat in the courtroom, Asha reached over the barrier and hugged her mother tightly. Nathalie was on the verge of tears, the pressure of being questioned so harshly weighing her down. Dan and Phil joined the hug as well, soon followed by the boys.

“You sounded good up there,” Phil told her.

“Yeah? I’m a mess,” she sniffled.

“We’re proud of you,” Dan added.

~.~.~

“Calling our final witness: Miss Mina Lester.”

The courtroom let out a gasp as the timid, frightened teenager walked quickly to the witness stand and took her oath.

“State your name.”

Mina looked up and replied.

“You’ll have to speak louder, into the microphone.”

“M-Mina L-Lester.”

“Is Thomas Lester your father?”

“Y-Yes.”

“Would you say you have a good relationship with him?”

She said nothing, fidgeting in the chair and staring at her fingers in her lap.

“Young lady,” Judge Rainer caught her attention. “You must answer all the questions.”

“Yes, we have a good relationship.”

“Really? That’s lovely. You know many omegas your age are getting tired of their alpha parents telling them what to do. It’s nice that you’re close with you father. Am I right? You are close?”

“Yes, I guess you could say that.”

“Mina, dear, do you go on dates?”

“No. I’m not allowed.”

“Are you too young?”

“I-I’m never allowed to date,” she whispered.

“Please repeat what you’ve said,” the prosecutor asked gently.

“I’m not allowed to date ever.”

“Why is that?”

“Daddy doesn’t want me to.”

“Why is that?”

“I don’t know.”

“Yes, you do. Are you a conservative family?”

“No,” she shook her head. “He says I don’t need to.”

“Why not? Socialization is important to the adolescent. Surely he knows that.”

“He says I don’t need anyone but him.”

“What does he mean when he says that, Mina?”

“That…”

“Yes, go on. You are safe here.”

“He’s s-says…. He says he’s g-going to be my mate,” the girl finally whimpered out.

“When did he say that, Mina?”

“A few months ago. The night of my fourteenth birthday.”

“Are you aware that it is illegal for an alpha to mate with his own offspring?”

“Yes but he was going to do it anyway.”

“How do you know?”

“I don’t want to say.”

“Nothing will happen to you. You are safe.”

Mina looked around the court room and her eyes landed on Nathalie. The woman sat there with tears in her eyes at the girl’s story. She nodded vaguely and that seemed to give Mina the strength she needed to say what she had to say.

“Daddy tells me all the time. He tells me how much he can’t wait for my first heat. I know it is coming. And I don’t want it to. He’s going—He’s going to mate me, I know!”

“Objection! This girl has no real basis to her argument. It’s hearsay!”

“Overruled.”

“He comes into my room at night!” she cried out over the din.

“Mina, calm down. Focus. Is your father ever violent with you?” the prosecutor continued.

“Yes.”

“Would you say your father is a violent man?”

“Yes.”

“Do you think he is guilty?”

Mina closed her eyes and nodded before answering, “Yes.”

~.~.~

“The jury will now deliberate for unspecified amount of time. Case adjourned until tomorrow at 9 am.” The judge banged her gavel once and swiftly left the bench to return to her chambers.

Phil and Dan were getting ready to leave when they heard Nathalie ask, “Do you think we’ll win?”

“Yes. We’ve established that he is a danger to all females and especially omegas. His own wife and child don’t want him walking the streets. Hopefully the jury will see that.”

~.~.~

The next morning, the case resumed at 9 am sharp. The jury had made their decision and were ready to read it. The foreman stood and said, “We, the jurors, find Thomas Lester guilty of rape and assault. We would also like to append a kidnapping charge. He forcibly removed Ms. Kensington and held her against her will.”

“The court would like to thank the jury for their work,” said Judge Rainer. “Now, I have a few words concerning this case. It is my understanding that this would set a precedent, and become one of the most influential cases the United Kingdom has seen in decades. Based on that thought, I hereby issue this ruling: No person shall force themselves sexually upon another person. Consent for all sexual acts must be met with following stipulations.

  1. The other person is able to communicate freely. They are not bound and unable to speak or write.
  2. The other person is not under the influence of drugs such as narcotics or alcohol.
  3. The other person is not under the influence of a heat. If so, only their trusted alpha may engage in sexual activities.
  4. The person is of legal age; 17 or older.
  5. The person is not a blood relation.



Now, Mr. Lester. You have been found guilty and you are sentenced to 35 years in medium-level security prison. After 20 years, you may file for an appeal.”

“This is pure bollocks!” he shouted.

“Control your client,” Judge Rainer warned. “Or I’ll up the sentence.”

“You fucking bitch!” he continued. “You turned your back on all the alphas. You are one of us!”

“Mr. Lester, I will _never_ be one of you!” she said forcefully. Turning to the bailiff, she said, “Remove the defendant from my courtroom. I don’t want to see his face anymore.”

The police who were stood off to the side and the bailiff removed Thomas from the courtroom as he shouted obscenities and cursed his wife and children.

“Case dismissed.”

~.~.~

“It’s all over!” Dan exclaimed excitedly.

“I was so scared he would be found innocent,” Elaine added. “I can’t imagine what he would have done when he came home.”

“You were incredibly brave,” Phil commented, opening a bottle of champagne.

Mina, who was sat next to her mother on the sofa leaned her head on her shoulder. “You were so brave, Mum.”

“Thank you, love,” Elaine said. “So were you.”

“I’m so sorry you had to go through that, Mina,” Nathalie sympathized. “To live with it.”

“Don’t be sorry. It wasn’t your fault, you know?” She paused for a moment. “I loved my dad. I did but…”

“It’s alright,” Dan said. “We understand.”

“Let’s make a toast,” Phil started, as he poured the champagne. “To justice, fairness and peace. Let us all enjoy the fruits of our labor!”

“Well said!”

“Here! Here!”

~.~.~

 “So Mina is your sister? Whoa…” Josh said. The family tree was getting noticeably more complicated. He had his hand deep in the ice cream container, scooping out three bowls of strawberry shortcake.

“Yeah,” Davey. “And I’m your cousin and step-brother.”

“It sounds weird, like we’re some sort of funny family that intermarries.”

Asha tapped on Davey’s shoulder to get his attention before she signed, “So that means you aren’t the oldest anymore!” Davey made a face and rolled his eyes. “You’re just a little thing like the rest of us.”

“I’m taller than all of you.”

“Yeah whatever,” Josh laughed.

Just then Mina came into the kitchen and waved to the group. The other teenagers smiled at her, feeling a little overwhelmed by the secrets she revealed the day before and unsure of what to say.

“Would you fancy some ice cream?” Davey asked to break the tension. Mina nodded and smiled, approaching the kitchen island where he was scooping another bowl.

Meanwhile, Josh and Asha were sat at the counter and throwing bits of strawberry at each other. They were giggling and making mess and Davey was getting annoyed as he had inherited Dan’s need for cleanliness and order. “Well, aren’t you going to tell them to stop?” he asked Mina.

She shook her. “Why would I?”

“You’re the oldest! Gosh, Mina. Take your duties as the older sister seriously.” She smiled and took the bowl from Davey’s grasp then picked out a piece of strawberry.

“Do not throw that at me,” he warned. She laughed and looked back at Asha and Josh. Davey was suddenly pelted with bits of strawberry ice cream by all three of them. “I hate you guys!” he shouted.

Two-year-old Chrissy toddled into the kitchen and ran to Davey’s side. He picked her up and used her as a shield. “You wouldn’t hurt a baby.”

“Put her down and fight like a man!” Mina demanded playfully.

“No. I’m being attacked by omegas. No alpha is safe!”

“That’s right! We have rights now!” Josh proclaimed.

They eventually settled down and ate their ice cream after Davey formed an alliance with Asha and their five minute war ended. “Hey Mina?” Josh asked.

“Yeah?”

“I’m sorry about your dad, yeah?”

“Thanks.”

Asha signed, “I’m sorry too.” Josh translated for her so Mina could understand.

“It’ll be alright. I’m glad he’s gone. And I’m still mad at him.”

“That’s understandable, after everything he’s done to you,” Davey reasoned.

“No, I’m mad because he kept my sister away from me. Do you know how long I’ve wanted a sister?!”

Josh had been translating for Asha and the girl giggled.

“We even look alike! We have a lot of catching up to do.” Asha nodded and smiled.

The five them remained in the kitchen talking and laughing until the adults were ready to go home. Dan and Phil were exhausted after the long day and asked the boys to make sure Christina had a bath and went to bed while they settled in their own.

“Big day for us,” Phil murmured as he snuggled in close to Dan, spooning him.

“Big day for the country,” he replied.

“Yeah. Who knew you could change the world?”

“Me?” Dan asked. “I haven’t done anything.”

“Dan, you’re the reason this whole thing started. You came into my office one day, in your scrubs, said you were on your lunch break?”

“Yeah,” Dan chuckled. “And you needed a nap.”

“I always need a nap. Being this devastatingly handsome takes a lot of energy,” Phil joked.

“You are very handsome,” Dan agreed. “I think that’s why I fell in love with you.”

“Just for my looks?” Phil scoffed. “Understandable.”

“Why did you fall in love with me?”

Phil thought for a second and sighed. He had been thinking about this for a long time now. He wanted to say it just right. “It’s the little things about you. Like the way you smell and the way you look at me when you think I’ve done something wonderful. The way your eyes shine when you smile and your laugh.”

“Phil?” Dan mumbled, choked up. He turned over to face Phil and Phil shushed him.

“The way you whine and pout like a child sometimes and how you make sure I spend quality time with the children because I’ll work too much for my own good. The way you love Joshua even though he isn’t your blood and the way you yelled at me for ignoring him. You’re my partner, Dan. My husband. I love you for so many reasons. I could go on all night.”

“Don’t,” Dan smiled before pecking Phil on the lips. “You’re perfect and I love you too. You’re sappy but perfect.”


	10. Author's Note

So this one was actually really fun to write. It was great to just make up a new universe with new gender norms and expectations.

**Common themes were:**

Single parenthood

_Omegas who were single parents were considered unfit to raise their own families. Also, as we saw, Dan was referred to as a whore because he had a child before he married._

Lack of Consent

Shaming the victim

_We see this a lot in our own word. A rape victim is made to feel bad for ruining a boy’s life and hurting his family. Often, it’s his/her fault for wearing provocative clothing or somehow leading their rapist on. This is, of course, complete bullshit._

Government supported rape

_When a government fails to protect more than half it’s population from acts such as abuse and sexual assault, is it not supporting the actions? Begs to ask the question: Are you a part of the cure or the disease? (yay, coldplay!)_

**Symbolism:**

  * Eyes:
  * Brown eyes were victims.
  * Blue eyes were powerful.
  * Grey eyes were kind and thoughtful.
  * Green eyes were dependent.



**Names:**

  * David: Beloved.
  * Joshua: Balanced.
  * Christina: Christian, holy,
  * Asha: Hope
  * Mina: Love



 

**Deafness: The hearing loss for the two children who would never know the world the way everyone else does.**

  * For Asha, her world is made up of fear and isolation. She is very cautious.
  * For Christina, she will be raised in a new world. Her parents are bringing about change and she will live to see the results of their efforts.



I want to thank you all for reading. It seems half way through, this wasn’t really phanfic anymore but I love writing this sort of thing. Hope you enjoyed it.

**Author's Note:**

> follow me on tumblr  
> [danni-howell](https://danni-howell.tumblr.com/)


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